October 7th Willimantic, CT. SolarOne' Solutions announced today that it has delivered five grid-independent SOLED Bus Shelter Security lighting systems to Eastern Connecticut State University. These systems are believed to be the first of their kind in the country to be installed and operating.

October 7th, 2004. Willimantic, CT. SolarOne' Solutions of Framingham, MA announced today that it has delivered five grid-independent SOLEDTM Bus Shelter Security lighting systems to Eastern Connecticut State University. These systems are believed to be the first of their kind in the country to be installed and operating. In addition the company also delivered two 2.4 kW stand-alone dormitory security lighting systems to the University. The bus shelter systems consist of a pair of highly reliable, bright white LED lamps controlled by a special LED lighting controller, an unbreakable solar panel and a sealed long life battery. SolarOne's unique lighting controller provides for more efficient operation and factory programmable features to optimize lighting to periods when it is most needed, saving cost and reducing solar panel size.

"There is an increasing buzz around advancements in LED lighting, but there are also a number of misperceptions floating around", says SolarOne President Moneer Azzam. "For example LED lights are not actually more efficient than other forms of lighting. However, there are other attributes that make them exciting when combined with a solar source. By developing unique technology and deploying equipment in the field for our customers, SolarOne is not only uncovering significant opportunities but turning them into commercially viable products."

With the first generation SOLed' lights in operation for almost a year in northeastern climates, the company is eyeing much broader geographical markets. Channing Page, Director for New Business at SolarOne, says, "if they work well in New England, they will certainly perform virtually anywhere in the continental US and Central America. SolarOne expects to soon add a bus shelter lighting package to its standard line of solar outdoor lighting products. Details will be available on its website.

Solar lighting systems such as the one installed at Eastern Connecticut State University offer many benefits. For security purposes, these lights stay on, even when the electric grid goes down. They also avoid the often-times prohibitive cost and hassles of trenching and electrical hook up. Therefore they are easy to add to pathways or shelters on a retrofit basis, instead of having to schedule installation with a major renovation project as is the case for standard outdoor lighting. LED lighting offers additional advantages over more conventional lighting, such as

· more targeted lighting, curtailing "spillover", (e.g. light pollution);
· solid state reliability that may result in 4 or 5 times longer lifetime than the best fluorescent bulbs
· low voltage operation, eliminating the risk of shock hazard


Eastern Connecticut State University intends to be at the forefront of adopting alternative energy sources. "Eastern is committed to becoming a model for projects on campus that stress alternative sources of energy particularly where the use of renewables is concerned," says Dr. David G. Carter, President of the University.
Facility Engineer at Eastern, David Lebel says, "Solar/LED lighting offers some very interesting potential for campuses. With the help of SolarOne's data loggers and support services we will be observing their performance and assessing their appropriateness for other applications on our campuses".

SolarOne' is already experiencing rapidly expanding interest in their lighting systems and related engineering capabilities. For example, the company is in the process of delivering components for 500 neighborhood lighting systems based upon its SOLed' solid state lighting for a private project in the Northeastern United States.


About SolarOne' Solutions

SolarOne' Solutions provides products and systems that deliver small-scale utility services, such as electric power, lighting, and pure water without the need for fossil fuels or connection to an electric grid. In addition to its line of PV powered products, the company offers custom design and product development support services.

For further information on SolarOne' Solutions visit www.solarone.net, e-mail at info@solarone.net or call Toll Free 877-527-6461.