SolarCap Lighting to Brighten the LightFair International 2002 Show with its Decorative Outdoor Light Emitting Tiles Self-Contained, Solar-Powered, Outdoor Lighting Tiles Produce a Welcoming Glow
 
Suwon, Kyonggi-do, Korea - May 23, 2002 - SolarCap Lighting, an innovative developer of solar-powered lighting devices, will introduce its second generation of Light Emitting Tiles (LET) at the LightFair International 2002 Show in San Francisco, California. SolarCap's new solar lights are self-contained, solar-powered, decorative outdoor nighttime light sources. Designed to add beauty and illumination to walkways, patios and gardens, SolarCap's light tiles emit a soft inviting glow. Working tiles will be on demonstration during the three-day show, June 3 through 5, at booth number 3119.
 
SolarCap's decorative tiles are available in six attractive colors: red, orange, yellow, white, blue and green. Each semi-permanent tile measures eight inches by eight inches by 2 3/8 inches, so they will occupy the same space as two standard four by eight inch construction bricks. The main body of each tile is made of waterproof ruggedized polycarbonate plastic, which meets ASTM C902, the specification for pedestrian and light traffic paving bricks. Though the tiles are permanently sealed to prevent damage to the components inside, all of the internal parts are made of non-hazardous, non-polluting materials, making the tiles environmentally friendly. SolarCap tiles also have published specifications for tensile, compressive and shear strengths, as well as hardness and one million cycle fatigue limits.
 
Requiring no connection to an external power source, SolarCap tiles can be installed virtually anywhere. They can also be installed in any orientation, such as parallel to the ground, perpendicular to the ground or even upside down. The tiles can be embedded in the ground along a walkway or garden path, or into a set of steps. They can also be mounted on a gate, the side of a building, driveway entry posts or along the underside of a narrow archway.
 
Each SolarCap tile has four built-in, mono-crystalline, silicon photovoltaic solar panels, which collect the sun's energy during the day. The solar 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 can become fully charged in as little as one to three hours. The source of light within each tile is a set of four super-bright, Light Emitting Diodes (LED), which produce up to 34 Lux of illumination (for the green color). This meets IESNA DG-5-1994, the recommendation for walkways and class one bikeways.
 
Each tile has a built-in photo detector that automatically turns the light on at dusk and off at sunrise. Additionally, each tile has a wide operating temperature range of -40 to +167 degrees Fahrenheit (F), making them suitable for outdoor use virtually anywhere. Subjection to temperatures below -40 F will not damage the tiles and normal operation will resume after the ambient temperature warms up above -40 F.
 
SolarCap tiles are semi-permanent. Each tile contains a new energy storage component. Instead of using standard rechargeable batteries, SolarCap uses an ultracapacitor for its energy storage component. There are three distinct advantages of using ultracapacitors over the rechargeable batteries used in other solar powered lights. The first is life span. Rechargeable batteries need to be replaced every two to three years, while the ultracapacitor will last for over 10 years (maybe even indefinitely) without needing to be replaced. The second is safety and toxicity. While rechargeable batteries contain toxic and hazardous chemicals, ultracapacitors contain only non-toxic manganese oxide and an organic electrolyte. The third is energy storage capacity degradation. Rechargeable batteries lose their ability to store and deliver energy 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 tile's solar cells and LEDs require.
 
SolarCap Lighting's new decorative tiles will be available in mid July. Quantity discounts are available for wholesalers and retailers. Additionally, SolarCap LETs can be custom designed into almost any shape imaginable. For more information on pricing, quantity discounts and ordering custom sized and shaped tiles, contact one of SolarCap Lighting's U.S. sales offices. The closest sales office can be found on the SolarCap Web Site at www.solarcap-lighting.com.