FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CALIFORNIA EMPIRE UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT GRADED A FIRST, FIRST AND FIRST WITH
NEW SOLAR ELECTRIC INSTALLATION
First School District to Receive Rebate From PG&E's Self-Generation
Incentive Program; First Large Scale PV System in Central Valley;
First System to Credit Power Back to Modesto Irrigation District Utility
January 12, 2004 - Rocklin, CA - RWE SCHOTT Solar, Inc. (RSS), a leading
manufacturer and distributor of high-quality solar modules and systems,
announced today that its customer, the Empire Union School District, is the
first district in the state to receive a Pacific Gas and Electric Company
(PG&E) rebate for a photovoltaic (PV) power generation system. In addition
to being the Central Valley's first large scale PV installation, this is the
first system to connect into and credit power back to the Modesto Irrigation
District (MID) municipal utility. The 45kW system is installed at the
Norman Glick Middle School in Modesto, California.
Located in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, Modesto averages 162 days
of sunshine and only 12.25 inches of rain per year, making it an ideal
location for the use of solar electric systems. The Norman Glick Middle
School PV system takes advantage of the sunny weather, producing power year
round. The school is able to bank the power it generates on weekends, as
well as during the summer months when the school is closed. This reduces
the overall energy costs for the school and saves taxpayers money.
"It is gratifying to see our rooftop PV installation and shade structure
systems producing clean power for our school and, of course, there are a lot
of good things we can say about solar power and the reduction in our energy
costs. But there is an added benefit with these particular systems -
education," said Don Kiger, business manager for the Empire Union School
District. "The students are curious about how these systems work and what
they do. This exposure to a practical real-world example of a renewable
energy solution is a great teaching tool. While we can physically measure
our power use and dollar savings, helping students learn about the benefits
of clean, renewable energy is immeasurable."
Marc Roper, director of sales for RWE SCHOTT Solar added, "It's important
that customers in the commercial market and public sector know about the
self-generation incentive program rebates. This is a great example of where
a customer is served electrical power by one utility company, MID, but is
still eligible for the rebate because they are also a PG&E gas customer.
These rebates help defray the initial cost of the system and accelerate the
payback period."
About the Rebate and System
The self-generation incentive program provides financial incentives to PG&E
customers who install certain kinds and sizes of "clean" on-site distributed
power generation. In this case, the installation consists of a 15kW system
on the roof of one building and a 30kW system on a purpose-built shade
structure. With the system now authorized to operate in parallel with the
electric grid and confirmed to meet other criteria established by the
California Public Utilities Commission, a rebate incentive check for
$172,647 is expected to be issued in January. This is the first and largest
PV installation in the Central Valley served by MID. It can generate
approximately enough electricity to power 15 to 30 average homes.
ABOUT RWE SCHOTT Solar Inc.
RWE SCHOTT Solar Inc. is North America's leading manufacturer and
distributor of solar power components and systems, serving customers
throughout the Americas from sales offices in California, Massachusetts and
the State of Washington. The company's U.S. headquarters and manufacturing
facility in Billerica, Massachusetts, produces the largest solar power
module available worldwide, the ASE 300TM. A pioneer in the design and
development of complete solar power solutions, RWE SCHOTT Solar Inc. serves
a highly diverse market including grid-connected residential and commercial
systems, and grid-independent industrial, governmental and utility
applications. RWE SCHOTT Solar Inc. is a joint venture of the RWE Group, a
global international multi-utility concern with core businesses in
electricity, gas, water, waste management and recycling; and the SCHOTT
Group, a leading international specialty glass manufacturer. The RWE and
SCHOTT companies had combined sales of over $55 billion in 2002, and employ
nearly 150,000 people worldwide.
For more information, please visit: RWE Schott Solar Inc. -
www.rweschottsolar.com;
RWE Group - www.rwe.com/en; Schott Group - www.schott.com.
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For more information contact:
Jennifer Pecha Bill Jeppesen Mark Hendrickson
RWE Schott Solar, Inc. Effective PR, Inc PG&E
T: 1.916.625.9033 T: 1.916.941.7553 209-576-6564
F: 1.916.625.9032 F: 1.916.941.7589
jennifer.pecha@rweschottsolar.us bill@effectivepr.com mjhy@pge.com