90% loved GravityLight. What about the other 10%?

It was extremely encouraging that so many people said they would use a GravityLight instead of a kerosene lamp. What was even more useful was finding out why some people would not:

A significant objective in our global trials was to discover what needed improving: What didn't work and why? What would make that last 10% switch their kerosene lamp for a cleaner, safer GravityLight?

Maximising GravityLight's brightness:

GravityLight doesn't need the sun or batteries but it does need 10-12kg of weight, such as rocks or sand. 

Not only did we design GravityLight's bag to be robust enough to hold this weight, we also shaped it to maximise its 'drop time' or light duration. It was tall and narrow, which meant that when the base touched the ground it had 20 seconds of dimming light as a 'warning' that the bag needed lifting again.

As the weight of different rocks and soil varied, in some cases we needed a bigger bag! 

It also meant that where the bag had been filled but weighed under 12kg, trialists didn't benefit from the maximum brightness that GravityLight could deliver.

We've taken this into account in our new bag design for the next generation GravityLight - GL02 - which is:
- bigger
- adjustable
- UV resilient
- can be locally sourced

Making GravityLight easier for all to use:

Another challenge we found was that some people struggled to lift GravityLight's weight to it's full height. This meant that people experienced a shorter drop time and light duration.

We want GravityLight to be accessible as possible to all members of the family. Given GravityLight can be used as a clean, safe light for children to study by, it is especially important to us that children are able to lift the weight too.

Jim's sons have been great mini trialists of thenew winch system in GL02. With this, a 12kg weight now feels like 3kg. It also enables people of any height (and different sized biceps!) to use GravityLight and benefit from the maximum light duration.

Over the next few weeks we'll be sharing more of the feedback we received and the insights that have driven the development of the next generation GravityLight: GL02.

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GravityLight trials in Jamunamarathur: Meet Lakshmi

Lakshmi is 55 years old and lives with her two grandchildren in the Javadi Hills, Tamil Nadu, India.

Her son and his wife are working as daily-wage labourers in the city. As well as being a daily-wage farm worker, Lakshmi also takes care of her two grandchildren. 

Lakshmi and her grandson, Ganeshan, are one of the 1300 off-grid families that trialed GravityLight.

Ganeshan previously studied by the light of a kerosene lamp, which used to strain his eyes and fumes made them water. With the clean and safe GravityLight Ganeshan started studying for longer.

Given GravityLight costs nothing to run there wasn’t the worry that more studying would cost more to his family. His house is dark in the daytime too, so he was able to use GravityLight anytime of day, without needing to pre-charge or worry about the expense.

GravityLight test by Miatta and her children, Liberia

Meet Miatta: she lives with 4 children in the outskirts of Monrovia in Liberia. Liberia has one of the lowest electricity access rates in the world: less than 2% of the population.

Miatta sometimes uses a small diesel generator to create light in her house, but only when money allows. On most evenings  they use small desk lamps that run on batteries. According to Miata the quality of the lamps is low; they break quickly and the light that they generate is not very suitable to study or to work by. 

Miatta attaches GravityLight to a beam in her home.

At first Miatta was sceptical about GravityLight because of her experience with the small desk lamps but:

“We were all surprised how bright the GravityLight and SatLights were in comparison to the battery lights.”

Mattia's experience with GravityLight also highlighted a couple of features that were useful and some improvements we could make too:

- There was confusion between the two hooks, which needed to go on which side? Could we colour code them to show the correct set up?

- We had provided a spare zip tie to attached GravityLight, which our 'trial facilitator', Lachlan thought was a great idea:

“Nice work including a second hanging strap - I fully expect Miatta will want to move her light once she’s had a play with it.”

- We also hear that Miatta’s 5 year old son enjoyed GravityLight too; trying to use it as a swing! Having heard this a couple of times from families around the world, we knew this would be important to consider when designing GL02! 

Thank you Miatta and Lachlan for sharing your thoughts and experience of GL01!

Find out about the improvements we've made for the next generation GravityLight, GL02 - available through our Indiegogo campaign now!

Trials in the Philippines

MyShelter Foundation, known for their Litre of Light projects, lighting up off-grid homes in the day time with sunshine, a bottle of water and chlorine, trialled GravityLight in the Philippines.

Very familiar with the need for affordable, sustainable light in off-grid, densely populated communities, they shared their feedback on GravityLight...

Mr Adrian Ampong talks Mr. Primitivo Saldua through how to set up his GravityLight.

Mr. Primitivo Tibo Salduo and his family tried GravityLight in their house.
He and his family (wife and 2 sons) live in an off grid community of about 100 people in Zamboanga del Sur. Mr. Primitivo is a carpenter just like his two sons. For more than 15 years they have been living without any form of electricity, simply because it is too expensive for them.  For basic lightning they use kerosene lamps, the main source of lightning for more than 800,000 households in the Philippines.  

MyShelterFoundation asked Mr. Adrian Among, an engineer and trainer from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to support Mr. Primitivo in setting up GravityLight:

Mr. Primitivo Saldua and Mr Adrian Ampong survey their newly installed GravityLight and SatLights. 

When the light was running, Mr. Primitivo was amazed of how it can illuminate his small shanty and how handy it is and easy to use. He was so impressed that he wanted his neighbors to see it as well!

““Thanks to the GravityLight, now we can enjoy light in my house for free. My neighbours came and were delighted to see it. This device can help us, we need not buy kerosene for our lamps, we no longer grope in the dark and we can now enjoy talks with the family under the light of the GravityLight.”

Find out about the new and improved GravityLight design: GL02 - available through our Indiegogo campaign.

Stories from GravityLight's Global Trials

Through the support of 6,219 funders on Indiegogo and dedication of many trial partners were able to trial GravityLight with over 1,300 off-grid households across 26 countries. 

These families shared invaluable feedback: 

- what did they like about GravityLight?

- what could be improved?

Over 90% of people who tried GravityLight said they would use one instead of a kerosene lamp.

Each week we will be sharing stories of the people who helped trial the first GravityLight model: GL01. 

Keep up to date by email, facebook and twitter.