The crisis of electricity is one of the major problems in the world because of rapid developments and urbanization. About 840 million people do not have access to electricity. The people living in islands are in the worst condition, especially in coastal deserts regions like that of South America. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that this problem is only going to get bigger. Even fossil fuel reserves are predicted to run dry within the next six decades. 

Connecting such locations with the national grid is still very inefficient and sometimes impossible. The conditions in some coastal areas are still dependent on traditional sources like wood and kerosene to light their houses. Biomass sources can be very effective in such cases. But, the generation of electricity using biomass can not meet their demand.

Tidal, wave, and solar energy extractors are expensive, and not so easy to operate or maintain for most of the people living there. 

Empowering coastal communities

Electricity provides economic opportunity and quality of life. Without light, fishermen can’t fish at night, kids must do their homework by candlelight – which can be a fire hazard, artisans can’t craft at night and fill their orders, mobile phones cannot be charged to connect with loved ones. 

To light up such communities, Miguel Mojica, a Colombian product designer collaborated with Wunder Thompson and a renewable energy startup – E-Dina, to create a revolutionary device. 

Miguel Mojica, the designer of Waterlight

Named ‘WaterLight’, this device can transform half a liter of seawater or any saltwater into incredible light. 

Before working on the device, Miguel said that there were several stages to the development process. They considered materials, usability and how they would fit into the user environment. He said, “The creative process was quite interesting but, above all, productive.”

Finally, once the prototype was ready, the two companies turned to an indigenous community living on the remote La Guajira peninsula on the Colombia and Venezuela border.

The community, Wayúu, has limited access to electricity but is surrounded by arid desert terrain that turns out to be the most powerful battery in the world – the sea. The portable device needs to be filled with 500 milliliters of seawater – or urine in emergencies – to emit up to 45 days of light. Acting as a mini power generator, the device can also be used to charge a mobile phone or another small device via its integrated USB port.

With WaterLight, the Wayúu can transform this abundant natural resource into a safe, sustainable way to power their lives, from night fishing to charging mobile phones, without the need to travel for miles, creating a sense of connection within the community and to the wider world.

The Executive Director of Wunderman Thompson Colombia, Pipe Ruiz Pineda, believes that Waterlight can be more efficient than solar-powered lanterns. 

He said in an interview, "WaterLight can be more efficient than solar energy lanterns because it regenerates instantly. Once filled with water, the energy delivery is immediate while solar lanterns need to transform solar energy to alternative energy to charge batteries and they only work if there is the sun."

How does it work? 

The Waterlight is a bottle-like design inspired by the Wayuu tribe. It can be carried using a sling and filled with seawater from the top. 

The saltwater reacts with the magnesium in the WaterLight causing a simple chemical reaction to generate electricity. Two cups of water give the WaterLight enough energy to be powered for around 45 days. However, Pipe Ruiz confirms that this depends on the nature of use for the energy.

In the process, the salt and water get separated. So when the WaterLight is no longer able to illuminate, the water that's remaining in the light can be used for cooking as it is salt-free.

Members of the Wayuu tribe tested these lights on their boats and said that they enabled them to even fish at night. 

Currently, each light is expensive to manufacture. Reports suggest that each Waterlight costs around $60 to $100 each. However, the technology is more reliable and charges up the lights instantly, something solar power is unable to do.

Throughout history, design has transformed the world and revolutionized and disrupted environments. Miguel believes that with Waterlight, they are taking a step toward responsible and sustainable design. They cannot radically change everything from one day to the next, so it’s the small revolutions that will end up creating real change.

In the future, E-Dina plans on distributing these lights to other poor coastal regions around the world through nonprofits and other government organizations.

Visit their website to know more.