Ms. Mimi Drabit reports

COLORADO CITIES CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO BY INTEGRATING SOLAR LIGHTING INTO THEIR MASTER PLANS

Sol Inc., a subsidiary of Carmanah Technologies Corp., has completed its first installation for the City of Aurora, Colo., one of many projects in the state bolstering solar technology as a viable and sustainable solution for outdoor municipal lighting that works where traditional products are not an option. Sol's EverGen solar outdoor lights, the newest and most energy-efficient solar lights, are installed in Sand Creek Park in Aurora, Colo. EverGen's improved technology processes solar power so efficiently that it allows for a more compact system, which reduces the overall system costs while still meeting municipal lighting requirements.

Sol's EverGen solar outdoor lights are installed in Sand Creek Park in Aurora, Colo. In more northern states like Colorado, solar lighting for parks or streets is more viable than ever before thanks to Sol's new and unique energy-management system.

As part of a more sustainable master plan for Sand Creek Park, the City of Aurora's parks, recreation and open space department installed EverGen solar lighting systems in discovery playground. "We've seen a lot of clients more interested in solar because of the opportunity to show efforts towards being greener and having projects that can generate their own power," said Nicole Horst, principal for Wenk Landscape Architecture & Planning, which designed the Sand Creek project. "I think over time, we'll see more people using [solar lighting]."

These are the most recent solar lights the City of Aurora has installed. "A standard lighting solution was too costly given the location of Sand Creek park, and we're always looking for ways to include more sustainable and environmentally friendly amenities in our parks," said Ed Shalkey, project manager for the city of Aurora's parks, recreation and open space department. "Our general contractor suggested we check out Sol because he had recently installed Sol's lights elsewhere. I went and looked at the light and said, that's just what we need."

The recently launched EverGen M Series features Sol's new and unique energy management system -- or electronic brain. This improved technology processes solar power so efficiently, it allows for a more compact system, which reduces the overall system costs while still meeting municipal lighting requirements. This means that in more northern states like Colorado, solar lighting for parks or streets is more viable than ever before.

Colorado is maintaining its role as a strong proponent of renewable energy and has the potential for further growth, with the state ranking seventh for clean technology activities, according to the 2017 United States Clean Tech Leadership Index. Sol has deployed more than 300 solar lighting systems across Colorado, from Arvada to Wray.

"We are happy to see this continuing trend for projects in Colorado. It's often assumed that solar won't work unless you live in perennially sunny states like California or Texas, but we've proven with past projects that solar is viable for many locations -- and we build our systems to last," said Mimi Drabit, division manager for Sol.

The proof of viability can be seen in projects like the 71 Sol park lights installed beginning in 2007 in Wray, Colo., to light a multiuse pathway along the Republican River. Today, these lights are still operating with minimal maintenance: in 10 years, only some battery replacements have been required.

"Everything is still working. We even went through a traumatic hail storm, and there was no damage to the solar panels. Sol's lights have saved me a lot of time on maintenance -- I can go and do other projects around the city," said Lee Tufton, City of Wray electrical lineman supervisor, who handles the maintenance for city lighting. "Trying to get in all these lights with the utility would have been a nightmare; trenching all along the river, high water levels, tree limbs, cleanup afterwards -- it saved my department a lot of time."

James DePue, city manager for Wray, said that the city often thinks outside the box for solutions: "Our community has had a long history of exploring innovative ideas, from Sol solar lighting to a wind turbine that the community put together. We work hard to educate our customers and our constituency about the importance of energy efficiency. At the city, we're also looking at what the most efficient use of our resources is and how we can continue to challenge the status quo."

About Sol Inc.

Sol, a subsidiary of Carmanah Technologies, is a global leader in solar-powered commercial outdoor LED (light-emitting diode) lighting solutions. Since 1990, Sol has installed more than 80,000 systems in more than 60 countries. Whether for cities, militaries or commercial properties, Sol believes there is no substitute for lighting that is engineered smart, built tough and accurately sized. Sol is committed to providing reliable and cost-effective products that offer guaranteed performance and peace of mind.

About Carmanah Technologies Corp.

Carmanah Technologies provides signalling and solar lighting solutions for infrastructure projects around the world. With over 400,000 installations in 110 countries, Carmanah is in your community -- in the street lights on your block, the school zones in your neighbourhood and the regional airport in your town. Carmanah has built a global reputation for delivering innovative, cost-effective and long-lasting solar solutions that offer cost savings and ensure environmental sensitivity. Established in 1996, Carmanah is now a community of companies, including Sabik, Sol, Vega and Etka, which each offer energy-optimized LED solutions that are built to perform in some of the world's harshest and most remote environments -- while also working close to home.