According to the World Energy Outlook, an estimated 1.2 billion individuals worldwide do not have access to electricity as of 2016, with 95 percent of those living without electricity from areas in Sub-Saharan Africa and developing Asia.

This means that for 16 percent of the global population, there is no source of light once the sun sets. Some simply cannot afford electricity, while others do not have access to electricity grids.

City dwellers like us, who wince at the thought of power outages, can only imagine the inconvenience. When you think about it, most of us can’t even function without access to the Internet—but that’s another story.

An innovative device called the GravityLight—developed and backed by a UK-registered charity GravityLight Foundation—is seen to be the answer to this lack of light. And the best thing about the product is that it’s sustainable.

The GravityLight doesn’t need electricity, oil, or batteries to function; it uses nothing else but gravity to generate light. GravityLight Foundation has also set up crowdfunding campaigns that help the organization raise money for the production of GravityLight devices and its distribution to off-grid communities.

So how does it work?

According to the GravityLight Foundation, the device “is installed to provide a 6ft drop of a 12kg weight.” Once installed, the weight—provided by rocks or any other available material—is lifted and upon release, falls at an estimated 1mm per second. In other words, the descent is slow and generates enough to produce 20 minutes of light, thanks to a motor that is powered by kinetic energy. This energy powers “an onboard LED and ancillary devices.” Once it hits the floor from whatever height it was installed, the bag is just lifted again to restart the process.

What are the benefits of using the GravityLight?

Using GravityLight means lessening your carbon footprint since it only runs on gravity, or rather, the kinetic energy that is harnessed from the downward pull of gravity. The device is also portable, easy to install, and can be used anywhere, anytime. Owning a GravityLight means lessening costs as well, since it doesn’t require electricity. Last but not the least, it’s also a healthier alternative to kerosene lamps as it doesn’t emit harmful chemicals that may be inhaled by its users.

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