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[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

Aiming to bring low-cost illumination to residents of the Philippines, a nation of 7,000 oceanic islands, the Salt Lamp uses a free and abundant resource to reduce fire risk from candles and replace the cost of traditional lighting.

Developed by engineer Lipa Aisa Mijena of De La Salle University, the Salt Lamp requires a single glass of water with two tablespoons of salt to provide a night’s worth of a light, but, best of all, it can run off the naturally salty water of the surrounding ocean.

The electrode can run for over a year without requiring replacement as well. The next-generation version of the Salt Lamp will also have the capacity to charge portable electronic devices like cellular phones.

Currently, many households in the country lack access to or funds for electricity, resorting instead to oil lamps (which can cause house fires) or battery-powered lights (which cost more to use). Worse, during times of critical need (the area being prone to natural disasters) the resources required to make light are all the more essential yet difficult to acquire.

As someone who has both spent time with locals around the country and a member of Greenpeace Philippines, Mijena developed the Salt Light as an eco-friendly, low-footprint alternative that could be sold commercially but, first and foremost, deployed via non-profit organizations to those in need. “There are no materials and components inside the lamp that may cause fire accidents. One less thing to worry about for families that rely on kerosene lamps as their main source of lighting. This lamp uses the science behind the Galvanic cell, the basis for battery-making, changing the electrolytes to a non-toxic, saline solution — making the entire process safe and harmless.”

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

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