Gravity Light: Lighting for a billion people

Every day, in a home or in an office, we rely on electricity as it is an integral part of our life. We may take for granted our ability to generate heat and light with the simple flick of a switch.

But in some parts of the world, however, lack of access to affordable, clean and reliable energy is a serious problem. According to the International Energy Agency, over a billion people around the world lack reliable electricity grid and to my surprise, 240 million of them live in India. The main reason behind the lack of electricity is that most of these people stay in remote locations where the extension of the electricity grid is very difficult. So, these people are hindered in their socio-economic development, which poses a serious threat to the Indian economy as well as other such developing countries around the world. Access to energy is a basic human right and without it, development of such communities is not possible.

Most of them still depend on traditional kerosene lamps that have health risks such as severe burns and inhalation of the toxic fumes. Kerosene contributes to three percent of Global CO²emissions, which sounds not much, but trust me it is a very big number. It is estimated that 600,000 preventable deaths occur every year because of the accidents or health hazards that are directly linked to the use of kerosene.

So how to solve such a challenging issue? There are many solutions that are emerging to resolve this issue. One of them is the Gravity Light. Gravity light is a brainchild of two genius British inventors, Martin Riddiford and Jim Reeves. It proposes a simple alternative to the traditional kerosene lamps, it uses Gravitational Energy of falling weights to generate electricity.

The cost of the GravityLight will depend on whether it is sold in the developing or developed world. In the U.K., for example, it is set to sell for £49 ($63), while in Kenya it will cost roughly 2,500 shillings ($24.70). Once a user has set it up, it costs nothing to run.

Gravity light is an off-grid device and unlike Solar and Wind Energy which are largely dependent on environmental factors, it can run anywhere. The reason is simple, it is so because gravity is available everywhere on our planet’s surface. Gravity light is powered by just lifting a weight whose weight is predetermined. You just have to fill a bag with rocks or sand or anything which is up to the limit, you have to lift it to the predetermined height and as it gradually falls, it will turn a gear-box which generates electricity. Eureka! There is an LED bulb which comes with the device that you can for 30 minutes with a gentle glow or 15 minutes with a bright glow (you can adjust the intensity of light). In addition to that, you can charge many household things such as your mobile phone, torch or even a small battery.

For one villager, the Gravity Light has the potential to be life-changing. “This light will benefit me and my children, they will be able to read well, food will be cooked well in the evening, and the whole house will be well lit,” they said.

GravityLight also helps people break the poverty cycle among those dependent on kerosene, in places like India and Africa. In Kenya for example, Deciwatt is building its assembly line and in turn, offering jobs and opportunities to the people besides providing light in their households.

The company hopes that besides improving people’s day-to-day lives in impoverished areas, the product will find use in humanitarian relief and disaster preparedness as well. And it also hopes that in due course the technology can be improved to power other devices and charge batteries.

It was one of the projects identified by The Straits Times as one that could make a difference to people’s lives in developing countries of Asia, during an event in Paris to select projects that could have a substantial impact, in September last year to celebrate Impact Journalism Day. Time Magazine called it one of the best 25 inventions of the year. While CNN labelled it the top ten revolutionary innovations.

Indeed, innovations like Gravity Light will change the lives of the people that don’t have access to electricity. Thank you for your time and attention. Have a good day!