PowerLight, GreenMountain.com Unveil New Solar Plant, Solar Power Product

Business Wire, April 13, 2000

Business Editors & Energy Writers

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 13, 2000

California consumers can now, for the first time, purchase a green power product specifically designed to spur the installation of new kinds of solar panels at a cutting-edge manufacturing facility located in Berkeley, Calif.

Solar energy has long been the top choice of consumers when asked about what electricity sources they prefer. While there are a variety of green power products on the market that help build new clean electricity generating facilities in California, this is the first time consumers can direct their electricity dollars to support solar power, a clean, renewable source of electricity with wide applications for both businesses and residential customers.

This arrangement involved two industry leaders.

Berkeley-based PowerLight Corporation is the U.S. leader in building-integrated photovoltaic (PV) systems. PowerGuard photovoltaic (PV) roof tiles are the wave of the future when it comes to generating electricity since they are incorporated directly into the architecture of a building and therefore increase the aesthetic appeal of solar power. A 15 kW PowerGuard system has already been integrated into the rooftop of PowerLight's new 18,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Berkeley. The planned 100 kW Solar power facility, the largest in the Bay Area, is scheduled to be installed on the site this summer.

GreenMountain.com of Burlington, Vt., is the nation's leading retailer of green electricity. On April 10, it announced the release of its new "Solar For The Future" product, which is derived completely from a mix of renewable energy sources. For every 1,000 customers who sign up to purchase "Solar For The Future," GreenMountain.com will install another 10 kW of PV solar generation in California. In addition, those who sign up for GreenMountain.com's "Wind For The Future" product -- which helps install new wind turbines in the Palm Springs area -- will also be counted toward expanding the amount of PV panels installed in the state.

"I see a nice synergy between the PowerLight factory manufacturing PV panels for the global market and GreenMountain.com generating electricity, with the use of PowerLight roof space, for California consumers connected to the grid. What this means is that apartment owners and others in California who are unable to attach PV panels to their roof can still support the use and development solar power. It also means that California's renewable energy industry to helping to build a sustainable energy future throughout the world," said Kari Smith, clean power campaign manager for the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT).

A dedication of 15 kilowatt rooftop PowerGuard system, which will power part of the production process, will occur on April 14. PowerLight will purchase the balance of its electricity for its new manufacturing facility from Green Mountain.com's new "Solar for the Future" product, the initial 100 kilowatts of which will be generated using PV panels installed on the roof space of their Berkeley facility.

For more information about the dedication, please visit the following website: http://www.PowerLight.com.