Electroluminescent ("EL" for short) technology is used in many flat panel displays such as watches and a variety of electronic devices from cell phones, pagers and GPS devices to computers and are even used in the Space Shuttle. Any place where heat, space, vibration or electrical interference is a problem, EL lamps can provide a literally life saving alternative to incandescent, halogen, neon or mercury-sulphur lighting. They are highly efficient so they produce no heat, are thinner than a credit card so they can fit almost anywhere and have no filament, ballast or gas filled tubing to break or shatter.

EL lamps are electrically similar to a capacitor and consist of a dielectric (non-conducting) layer and a light emitting phosphor layer sandwiched between two conductive surfaces, at least one of which must be transparent or translucent. The dielectric layer allows the lamp to withstand higher voltages without shorting. The voltages required to make an EL lamp work are relatively high, from 80 to 100 volts. However because they are powered by small batteries there is virtually no current. With no current there is no danger of heat or dangerous electrical shock.

EL lamps illuminate when powered with alternating current (AC-power). In order to use the direct current (DC-power) from a 9Volt battery, an inverter is required. As voltage is applied to the conductive surfaces, an electric field is generated across the micro encapsulated phosphor and dielectric layers. Twice during each cycle the electric field excites the phosphors and the phosphors emit light through the transparent front conductor of the lamp.

EL lamps do not work well as a directed light beam like an incandescent bulb in a flashlight. They excel however in general illumination and represent a quantum jump in safety standards over traditional, passive reflective gear.

EL lamps have long life spans compared to incandescent bulbs. In ideal conditions EL lamps can last tens of thousands of hours. In dog collars they are expected to last several thousand hours or close to a decade of evening dog walks. EL lamps also fade gradually over several hours as the batteries run down. At the end of their effective life spans (many thousands of hours) they do not wink out as most lamps do but fade gradually over a period of months