Liter of Solar Night Light as a means to light up Purok 3, Barangay Paldit, Sison

1.1 Introductory Paragraph

There are diverse and abundant energies in the world and electrical energy is one of the most

used which applies for lighting, heating cooling and for operating appliances and

technologies. According to the latest study of International Energy of Statistics (IES), an

independent organization which works to ensure reliable, affordable, and clean energy for its

29 member countries, the total primary usage of the Philippines reaches roughly

3.692695475e+11 kilowatt-hours. The electricity which is usually used for lighting

worldwide is consumed at 58.33 billion kilowatt-hours. There are big dilemmas about it such

as costing a lot of money and affects the environment. The researchers presented the solar

night light that is operated by solar energy. Solar energy is from the sun and converted into

thermal and electrical energy. This solar night light is invented by a Filipino named Iliac

Diaz, a social entrepreneur who works in the ASEAN region to empower cities through his

works.

The main purpose of the liter of solar night light is to provide light that is sustainable and

energy saving. It aims to give naturally and cost-free lighting for simple houses with thin

roofs. The materials in doing this device are easy to find; it is made of 1.5-2 L plastic bottle

filled with water and a little bleach, some wires and a solar panel. It is possible to make this

product without being an electronics engineer just simple basic knowledge about electronics.

This solar night light had been spread throughout different cities but it is not really known by

many people. As stated in the study conducted by Philippine Institute for Development

Studies (PIDS), a nonprofit government research institution involve in long term, policy-
 oriented research, in the Philippines 16 million of the population does not have electricity as

of 2013. The researchers want to use this as a streetlight at the Purok 3, Barangay Paldit in

Sison and it would help the people from this street to decrease the minor and major accidents

caused by not being able to see their way.

1.2 Background of the Problem

Electricity can be considered as one of the basic need of human because it provides light and

other necessities such as water Human skills and knowledge knows few boundaries. People

are learning how to create a new product like gadgets, machines which became an

achievement and yet, for all those accomplishments still there are places that are left behind.

Aside from water and food, light is also one of the most important necessity that human

should have. Light is essential to human development because it makes it safer for people to

move freely and it also provides guidance and direction. Insufficient access to light severely

limits the ability of economies of a country to grow. There’s a growing problem with access

and affordability of electricity in diverse places in the world that has led to the study of solar

lights. It can be used at home and it can also be the aid to substitute the streetlights that costs

a lot of money.

One of the factors that affect the distribution of electricity in the Philippines is its structure

that is archipelago and it is prone to typhoons and it causes a lot of destruction not only to the

private properties, agriculture but also to the electrical wirings. In the Philippines not all of

the islands have connection with the electricity. Mostly there's no access of electricity in the

rural areas because it is too far from the supply of the electricity but some of the people in

urban can’t just afford it. "Out of almost 5 million of people in Mindanao, 1.2 million
households still without electricity and it much worse in Lanao del Sur, where seven out of

10 households has no access to electricity." (News Inquirer, 2013).

There’s a lacking of streetlights in Philippines especially to the rural areas because the sum of

the total consumption of energy each year and for its maintenance is too expensive.

According to the study of Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) in 2011, an

independent nonprofit media agency that specializes in investigative reporting, the cost of a

lamppost in Makati costs approximately from P240,000 to P280,000 it includes the

renovation, other civil works, writings, illuminated street names, programmable lighting

control and Meralco service connection. While in Quezon City, spends P34.85 million per

month on the consumption of lampposts. And of this amount, the predictable power bill for

lampposts account for 41 percent or P171.31 million.

There are still some barangays that propose to their LGUs (Local Government Units) to

install lampposts of every street. The lack of value in LGU spending on lamppost has been

the dilemma of each barangays. Millions of money has to spend just for these lampposts and

unfortunately, there are some barangays that do not have enough funds to supply more

streetlights in every street.

According to Senator Panfilo Lacson, working on legislation of the Philippines, there are still

some sitios in the barangays of Philippines that do not have electricity. A sitio that does not

have electricity means that the people who live here would not have any light during

nighttime and daytime. Streetlights are essential for the safety of the people and to lighten the

dark roads or walkway to move freely. This might cause major and minor difficulties that

sometimes might lead to death just like what GMA news affirmed in which a nine years old
 girl that had been raped and killed in barangay of Santa Ana and her body was found in a

dark road. In a dark road, there are common difficulties that everyone can encounter it can be

major or minor problem.

This is one of the crises that Purok 3, in Barangay Paldit is facing. The streetlights at their

street are not enough to light the way through their houses. The residents of Purok 3,

Barangay Paldit in Sison are worrying about this problem; some even had minor accidents.

Major and minor accidents could be faced by the residents of Purok 3 because of this

dilemma. Minor accidents like stepping on animals' feces, stumbling and bumping into an

object. Major accidents like car accidents, crimes such as holdup, rape and murder. And now

in order to stop this crisis facing by the citizens of Purok 3, the researchers present the solar

night light that could help the residents. This streetlight would not cause any commercial

electricity; it just needs the energy coming from the sun. This would help the residents and

also the government to pay less and to have a safer place for the people that live at Purok 3

Street.

1.3 Statement of the Problem

According to National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), administered by the Bureau of

Justice Statistics that gathers information on crimes, crimes occur at all times but is usually

happens during night time in which the place starts to get dark. The good thing is, the city of

Urdaneta does not have to worry about this because in every barangay of this city has an

adequate installation of streetlights. Having these streetlights would help these barangays to

lessen and avoid crimes.

Unfortunately, the Purok 3 in Paldit, Sison does not have enough streetlights and because of

that it causes minor accidents such as stepping on animal feces, falling on the ground and

getting bitten by harmful animals and major accidents like car accidents and crimes such as

murder, rape, hold-up, and kidnap.

One of the common problems of streetlights in a certain place is the paying of electric bills

which is expensive. It also includes the replacing of light bulb to maintain its functions. The

crime and accidents are not the entire problem that people are facing in lacking of streetlights

but also the financial cost that people spend. In assembling of streetlights might cost a lot of

money including the renovation of the place, salary of the workers, the programmable

lighting control, service connection of electricity and also the materials that are highly

needed for installations. Insufficient streetlights consumes money especially the major

accidents and crimes for paying hospital bills, medicines and repairing property due to

damages

The researchers want to propose an alternative energy to light up the Purok 3 and that

alternative energy is the solar energy. The researchers will introduce the solar night light in

which the product is going to be used as the alternative streetlights. It works with the use of

solar panel which stores energy from the sun that can be used during night time and its light

covers up to 15 square meters. This product was originally invented by Illiac Diaz, a Filipino

social entrepreneur that works in the ASEAN region empowering communities with the use

of sustainable construction and appropriate technologies.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The solar night light is practical in terms of saving money because the barangay does not

have to pay for the electricity bills. It also conserves electrical energy. Aside from that it is

also easy to create by people who have few knowledge about electronics. The materials used

in this product are affordable and that can be found anywhere like plastic bottles and the

bleach. And the most important thing is having this solar night light which is the alternative

streetlights will lead to clear and safe surroundings at Purok 3. This could help the residents

from the street to lessen the crimes and to avoid major and minor accidents.