Victoria, British Columbia, Canada – June 13, 2005 – Carmanah Technologies Corporation (TSX Venture: CMH) is pleased to announce that the Company has been awarded a contract by King County Metro Transit of Seattle, Washington to provide its i-SHELTER™ solar-powered LED bus shelter lighting systems.
Under the terms of the contact, Carmanah will provide up to US$400,000 in i-SHELTER™ systems to be installed throughout downtown Seattle and its surrounding areas over the next two years. A purchase order for 50 per cent of the systems has been received and they are scheduled to ship this month. This unique, intelligent solar-powered technology will provide Seattle with bus shelter lighting without the high installation costs, traffic disruption and ongoing maintenance costs associated with conventional grid-powered lighting.
“Carmanah is pleased to receive its first contract from King County Metro Transit,” states CEO, Art Aylesworth. “Seattle is a challenging location for solar power, due to its high yearly precipitation and cloud levels. However, having run successful trials there over the past year and having proven the performance and reliability of our i-SHELTER™ solar LED lighting systems in other difficult environments including Portland, Tacoma, Vancouver, Canada and even Edinburgh, Scotland, we are looking forward to replicating our success in Seattle.”
For the past 16 months, Carmanah has worked closely with Metro Transit to fine-tune a customized product design that matched specific system operating profile requirements while remaining cost-effective, maintenance free and visually pleasing. Carmanah’s patented MICROSOURCE™ Energy Management System will also automatically optimize operation and reliability for Seattle’s low sunlight conditions.
Carmanah’s transit lighting solutions complement Metro Transit’s longstanding safety and environmental initiatives. The Public Safety Partnership is a service the transit agency provides to ensure the safety of its riders. Carmanah’s i-SHELTER™ lighting systems not only promote safety for transit passengers by increasing rider visibility at night, but also operate using reliable renewable energy technology, which contributes to Metro Transit’s 30-year commitment to provide environmentally healthy and energy-wise transportation for the Seattle area’s 1.7 million residents.
On May 10 of this year the Washington State legislature overwhelmingly passed bills SB 5101 and SB 5111, which have been called the most progressive renewable energy legislation ever passed in a U.S. state. Comparable legislation in Japan has made that country the world’s largest photovoltaic consumer. “In coming years all eyes may be on Washington State as a solar energy leader,” states Aylesworth. “We are proud to have established a strong foothold in this region, helping to make a world-renowned ‘green’ city even greener and showcasing the potential of solar power for other U.S. locations.”
ABOUT THE i-SHELTER™
Carmanah’s solar-powered i-SHELTER™ and i-STOP™ transit stop lighting systems are popular alternatives to hard-wired, grid-connected lighting systems. London, England, was the first city to install the technology in 2002, and since then it has been installed by more than 90 transit agencies in North America and abroad including Toronto, Los Angeles and Edinburgh, Scotland.
Carmanah’s i-SHELTER™ and i-STOP™ LED-based lighting systems require 90% less energy than conventional incandescent bulbs and can operate for up to 100,000 hours before replacement of the LED luminaires. Installation of these systems can be performed for a fraction of the cost of hardwired systems, as there is no digging or trenching required, no electrical permits, no disruption of the street environment or traffic flow, etc. Once installed, they draw all their energy needs from the sun and require minimal operational or maintenance inputs for up to five years.
i-SHELTER™ and i-STOP™ also utilize Carmanah’s patented MICROSOURCE™ intelligence that automatically tailors solar charging and power output performance to any environment up to 60 degrees latitude. For more information about Carmanah’s industry-leading transit lighting solutions, visit
ABOUT CARMANAH
Carmanah is an award-winning manufacturer of proprietary LED-based lighting and illumination products for the public transit, marine, aviation, roadway, and industrial worksite and illuminated signage markets. The Company has more than 100,000 solar-powered LED lighting installations and 50,000 LED illuminated sign installations in 110 countries. The shares of Carmanah Technologies Corporation are publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “CMH” and on the Berlin and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges under the symbol “QCX”. For more information, please visit www.carmanah.com.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Carmanah Technologies Corporation
“Praveen Varshney”
Praveen Varshney, Director
For further information, please contact:
Mr. Mark Komonoski, Director
Carmanah Technologies Corporation
Tel: (403) 861-8384
Toll-Free: 1-800-665-3749
Media:
Mr. David Davies
Tel: (250) 382-4332
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are described under the caption “Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements” and “Key Information – Risk Factors” and elsewhere in Carmanah’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and which are incorporated herein by reference. Carmanah does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.
The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.