Seoul, Korea - January 14, 2002 - SolarCap Lighting, an innovative developer of solar lighting devices, will debut its first Light Emitting Tiles (LET) -which are fully self contained, semi-permanent, solar energy charged, decorative outdoor nighttime light sources- at the 2002 International Builders Show, ICCON and the Tech Home Expo, February 8th through 11th. SolarCap Lighting will be demonstrating working tiles at Tech Home Expo booth number 316.
 
Each tile is fully self-contained, having eight built-in mono-crystalline silicon photovoltaic solar cells. These cells can take in enough energy to power the light for up to 12 hours. If the tile is located in a shaded area, it will still absorb enough energy, on a sunny day, to become fully charged within six hours. Even on a rainy day, a tile will absorb enough energy, over an eight-hour period, to build up a full charge. In full sunlight, a tile will become fully charged in as little time as one to three hours. The light source within each tile is a set of four super bright Light Emitting Diodes (LED) which produce from 3,000 to 10,000 milicandelas per square meter of visible light.
 
These tiles require no wiring to an external power source, which means that they can be installed virtually anywhere, and in any orientation. They can be mounted parallel to the ground-along a walkway, garden path or embedded into a set of steps, perpendicularly-on a gate, the side of a building, or a driveway entry post, or at any angle whatsoever-perhaps along the underside of a narrow archway.
 
SolarCap LETs are semi-permanent : each tile has a new energy storage component built into it. Instead of using standard rechargeable batteries, SolarCap chose to use an Electric Double Layer Capacitor (EDLC) or ultracapacitor for its energy storage component. There are three distinct advantages of using ultracapacitors over rechargeable batteries. One: Life Span. Rechargeable batteries need to be replaced every two to three years, while the ultracapacitor will last for over ten years (maybe even indefinitely) without needing to be replaced. Two: Safety and Toxicity. Rechargeable batteries contain toxic and hazardous chemicals, while ultracapacitors contain only activated carbon and an organic electrolyte. Three: Energy Storage Capacity Degradation. Rechargeable batteries lose their ability to store energy and deliver it to a load as they age, while ultracapacitors have shown very little loss of capacity (less than 20 percent after 500,000 charge and discharge cycles) with age and use, at far more demanding rates of charge and discharge than the SolarCap's solar cells and LEDs require.
 
Each tile has a built in photo detector that automatically turns the light on at dusk and then off again at sunrise. Additionally, each tile has a wide operating temperature range of -40 to +167 degrees Fahrenheit, making them suitable for outdoor use almost anywhere. If the tiles are subjected to temperatures below -40 degrees Fahrenheit, they will not suffer any damage from the cold; they simply will not turn on or charge properly until their ambient temperature warms up.
 
SolarCap's decorative tiles are available in six attractive colors, red, orange, yellow, white, blue and green. Each tile measures eight-inches by eight-inches by two-inches. This means that the tiles will fit in exactly the same space as two standard four by eight inch construction bricks. The main body of each tile is made of waterproof ruggedized glass, which is permanently sealed to prevent access to the active components inside. The outer two-inch thick edge of each tile is rough finished, to enable it to be easily glued or cemented into place. In addition, all of the active components within each LET are made of non-hazardous non-polluting materials, making them completely environmentally friendly.