Innovative Renewable Energy Technology being developed in Malawi could soon provide bottled sunshine to Scotland. The off-grid solar-powered innovation Sunshine in a Bottle (S-I-A-B) which was funded by the African Union’s USD 7.5m Bright Ideas Fund (AU-BIF) has developed a revolutionary sunlight capture system, enabling sunlight to be stored in a special gel within recycled plastic bottles for up to 14 days. Patent-pending S-I-A-B, which, importantly does not require any cold-chain in transit could have revolutionary application in off-grid communities worldwide, in underground extraction industries, sub-sea work and in effectively increasing Scotland’s daylight hours in Autumn and Winter.
Director of R&D for Lilongwe-based Renewables Start-up Lightbulb Tech, Dr Livingstone Mipando said: “We are excited about the lengths that we have already come with this technology in just 2 years. Over the next quarter, we are focusing on S-I-A-B’s burn-rate, that’s to say increasing the duration in which light can be stored. We know that you guys in Scotland have it tough at that side in Winter months and even now, we would like to give you an April-full of sunshine.”