The Home Crowd

Brazilian mechanic Alfredo Moser has come up with an ingenious system of daylighting to keep down power bills.  And the shopping list is quite short.

• 2-liter plastic bottle (empty)
• Water (h2o, nice and clean)
• Film roll canister, to cover the bottle’s cap (might be hard to track down, who uses a film camera anymore?)

(Screengrab from the youtube clip, as their clips tend to disappear randomly)

Clever!  This of course, is only useful during the daytime, but I’m certain that puts a nice dent in the ol’ power bill.  It may not seem practical for most of us with attics.  But let’s keep in mind the old sheds you need a flashlight to visit at two in the afternoon, or that open-framed garage when the only natural light comes from your whirlybird roof vent (that spinning thing that squeaks and looks like a christmas ornament).  Of course, the water bottle technique would only be appropriate should you be really in need of light, AND money’s really tight.

They state that the bottles don’t cause the roof to leak, and I’m not certain about their waterproofing method.  But I do know this…. plastic melts.  Give it one simmering hot July afternoon, and I think the water bottle melts like that time you left your favorite CD on the dash of your car.  Maybe a thicker plastic container, say, from a juice container may hold up better.  But if you’re serious about natural daylighting, it’s best to do it right.

My suggestion?  Track down a natural daylighting system such as Solatube.

(Yeah, it’s pretty much what you’re thinking, the light comes in from above, and is routed downward via an ultra-reflective ductwork)

Not only will you cut down on that power bill, but you’ll enjoy bright, natural daylight in the darkest corners of your home, which would have otherwise been dark or unnaturally lit.  Also, installed correctly with it’s corresponding hardware (flashing, waterproofing),  and you don’t have any worries about leaks.  And feel good about saving energy, saving money, and on and on should this type of technology gets picked up in commercial buildings….bet that’d brighten up the ol’ supermarket.

Best of all – You’re home will appear to be co-piloted by R2-D2 himself!!!

Check out Solatube’s site and presentation here – Solatube

DIY, No Electricity lighting from 2 liter bottles from Lifehacker

Spotted at Jalopnik,

How sweet is this?  A stock car, go-kart race track right in your front yard!

Looks like they live out in the middle of nowhere, which is exactly the location of “making your own fun”

But…why?

• When pouring the driveway, purchased far too much concrete..
• Knew your riding mower was fast, but without lap times, who’d believe ya?
• Proving ground that your guests actually are too intoxicated to drive after late night parties.

Or, perhaps, just a big fan of racing.  Just goes to show that if you have a big enough property, and the determination, you too can have your own race track.  However, if you plan on racing heavy machinery, you may want to bank the corners somewhat, or suffer the consequences.

More pics at Jalopnik – Link