What is GravityLight and how does it work?

GravityLight works by lifting a weight – in this case a simple weighted bag. As it descends it actuates a pulley system connected to an alternator that converts the mechanical energy (or kinetic energy) produced by the movement into electricity, thus powering the lamp. The device is very simple to use.

Why should people use GravityLight?

Harnessing kinetic energy from falling rocks, GravityLight produced a safe, renewable source of light to those without access to electricity. Shell worked with Deciwatt, a company that used gravity to produce a safe, limitless source of light for people living off the energy grid.

How do you make a GravityLight?

Hang a GravityLight from a wall or ceiling, fill the bag with rocks or sand and winch it up. You may not realise it, but you’ve just created a battery. As the bag slowly falls to the ground it drives a generator through a gearbox, which provides direct electrical power for an LED, creating 20 minutes of light.

Is GravityLight real?

GravityLight was a gravity-powered lamp manufactured until 2019. It was designed by the company Deciwatt for use in developing or third-world nations, as a replacement for kerosene lamps.

Who designed the GravityLight?

Developed by Martin Riddiford and Jim Reeves over the last four years, the GravityLight is simply charged by a bag that is filled with around 9kg of material and hung from a cord below the light.

How efficient are gravity batteries?

The ramp rate for Energy Vault’s gravity storage solution is as little as one millisecond, and the storage system can go from zero to 100\% power in no more than 2.9 seconds. Furthermore, the system has round-trip power efficiency, i.e. zero to full power to zero, of 90\% efficiency, meaning only 10\% energy loss.

Can gravity produce electricity?

No, gravity can not be used as an infinite energy source. The kinetic energy that water gains when it falls (and can therefore be converted into electricity by a hydroelectric plant) comes ultimately from sunlight and not from gravity. As a force, no energy can be extracted from gravity itself.

How do you make a gravity battery?

A gravity battery could be created by using an energy source to slowly lift a large weight (using gearing or pulleys), then discharged by lowering the weight to run a generator when needed. The gravity battery consists a tube, weight, cable and coil. When the weight is up, the battery is considered charged.

What is the type of energy that the gravity light is converted into?

potential energy
Description: The Gravity Light converts potential energy that is stored in a weight into light. The principles involved in this design are very similar to the principles in a cuckoo clock, with the potential energy of the weight being converted to solar energy rather than kinetic energy.

How does gravity affect electricity?

Gravity is a four billion times weaker than the electromagnetic force that drives electrons in circuits, and so has absolutely no effect on electricity.