“Going solar is a huge step for us,” said Kona Brewing Company’s President and CEO Mattson Davis. “It is something we have been working toward for a number of years, and I’m ecstatic that Sunetric is helping us make it happen. We will be the first beer production facility in Hawaii to go solar, and our system is one of the largest in the country among craft breweries. We are proud to be able to say our facility is making a contribution to easing the state’s energy problems.”

The project, a roof-mounted grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) system, is estimated to produce an average of 900 kWh of electricity each day, which will allow Kona Brewing Company nearly 60 percent offset of its current electricity usage. It will include 880 260-watt solar modules on the brewery’s rooftop space. At the entrance to the restaurant, Kona Brewing Company guests will be able to check out a real-time monitor that shows how much energy the solar system is generating. At the current commercial retail electricity rate, the system will offset more than $100,000 in Kona Brewing Company’s electricity expenditures per year.

“In the long run, the cost savings in utilizing solar power are obvious,” continued Davis. “But even more important, our system will provide improved environmental performance and reduced carbon emissions. We feel we have a responsibility to take a leadership role in establishing production methods that minimize taxing our environment. It makes economic sense and it is the right thing to do. It’s not just good business… it’s our way of life.”

Sunetric President Sean Mullen added, “Hawaii businesses are finding the use of renewable energy is not only the right choice for the environment, but for business as well. With generous federal and state tax incentives out there for businesses, along with the continual increase of electricity rates, we have seen an incredible increase of Hawaii businesses switching to solar power over the last few years. Commercial solar projects have accounted for nearly 80 percent of our business since 2008.”

PV solar energy is a clean and renewable energy source. It does not pollute or consume natural resources. Sunetric estimates that over the next 30 years Kona Brewing Company’s PV system will prevent approximately 7,730 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere annually, or about 5 million car trips to a local grocery store. The solar array offsets 16,425 barrels of oil that would otherwise be burned to make electricity during the next 30 years.

In recent months Kona Brewing Company has seen several of its environmental initiatives reach fruition. In October both of its pubs on Hawaii’s Big Island and Oahu became Certified Green Restaurants® by the Green Restaurant Association. In December the brewery made Hawaii’s first certified organic beer, Oceanic Organic Saison. With the solar project moving forward, the company has fulfilled another of its goals in becoming a sustainable business leader.

Kona Brewing Company was started in the spring of 1994 by a father and son team that had a dream to create fresh, local island brews made with spirit, passion and quality. It is a Hawaii-born and Hawaii-based craft brewery that prides itself on brewing the freshest beer of exceptional quality, closest to market. This helps to minimize its carbon footprint by reducing shipping of raw materials, finished beer and wasteful packaging materials. The company is headquartered where it began, in Kailua-Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island. It has grown into Hawaii’s largest brewery, has three restaurant sites in Hawaii and beer distribution reaching 28 states and Japan. The brewery was named the fastest growing top-50 craft brewing company in the country based on 2008 sales figures. It is the 14th largest craft brewing company in the country, posting 51 percent growth in 2008. For more information call 808-334-BREW or visitwww.KonaBrewingCo.com

Founded in 2004 by Sean and Beth-Ann Mullen, Sunetric specializes in photovoltaic system design and installation, including the state’s largest photovoltaic systems at Kona Commons shopping center on the Big Island and Wilcox Memorial Hospital on Kauai. Hawaii’s solar authority, Sunetric leads the way in solar energy education, installation, and investment in our future. For more information, visit Sunetric.com

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HECO was No. 7 among the top 10 public power utilities, installing 3.5 megawatts of new capacity in 2008.

California’s Pacific Gas & Electric topped the list, installing 85 megawatts of new capacity in 2008. Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric Co. were ranked No. 2 and No. 3.

Four Hawaii utilities were named among the top utilities when ranked by total solar watts per customer.

Kauai Island Utility Cooperative was ranked No. 2; Maui Electric Co., a subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Industries (NYSE: HE), was No. 4; Hawaii Electric Light Co., No. 6; and HECO, No. 7.

California and Hawaii dominated the lists, but utilities in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Oregon also made rankings.

On the web: www.solarelectricpower.org.

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The company is now asking state regulators to OK a $50 million investment that would create a solar network covering more than 420 sites.

The N.C. Utilities Commission is considering Duke’s revised proposal in hearings that began Thursday.

Duke proposed the solar panel program in June. It wanted to spend $40 million in 2009 and $60 million in 2010 to install solar panels on the property of some 850 customers.

The Public Staff, charged with protecting the interests of consumers, suggested cutting the program in half.

Duke expects the smaller network to produce enough electricity to power 13,000 homes.

Duke will install, own and maintain all the equipment related to the solar operations.

It will also get all the power produced by it. Duke will pay customers rent for the use of their property.

The Public Staff contends the smaller program will boost independent efforts while still meeting Duke’s goals.

Those include:

•Encouraging new solar technology.

•Helping the utility meet pending state requirements for energy from alternative sources.

•Helping Duke understand how to deal with a large number of small generators as if they were a single large power plant.

Duke says even though it has not advertised the program, more than 460 customers have called since June to find out if they can have solar units installed.

Duke is not willing to consider, for now, proposals from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and two solar advocacy groups. Those proposals deal with letting customers use some solar power produced on site and allowing them to sell credits for producing non-polluting energy.

Rosalie Day, director of the N.C. Sustainable Energy Association, says Duke is dragging its feet on both issues. She contends Duke’s program will serve as a barrier to independent investment in solar power.

The environmental groups say Duke should be required to meet a portion of its state renewable quotas through independent solar generators.

Owen Smith, head of renewable energy programs for utilities at Charlotte-based Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE:DUK), says that is unrealistic. In his testimony filed Monday, he says Duke cannot rely on independent development to come quickly enough to meet the state’s requirements.

A state law adopted last year phases in quotas for energy from renewable sources. For 2010, utilities must produce .02% of the energy they sell from solar, wind, biomass or other alternative energy sources. That rises to 12.5% by 2021.

Smith says independent programs cited in testimony from the solar groups are occurring largely in California and Ohio, where electricity rates are two to three times higher than in North Carolina.

He says if customers want to hold on to their renewable energy credits and some of the power they produce, they can buy their own solar panels.

Day contends Duke prevents that from happening by not installing meters that would easily allow customers to keep some energy and sell some to the company.

More advanced programs in New Mexico have attracted a large number of individuals and small businesses to install solar panels, she says. Electricity costs about 9 cents a kilowatt-hour there, she says, very much in line with the N.C. average of 8 cents a kilowatt hour.

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The project is being installed by Suntech Hawaii and will include the installation of 682 modules on the roof of the Tori Richards headquarters on Moonui Street in Kalihi.

Suntech Hawaii designed the 154 kilowatt system, which will provide for 94 percent of the company’s power needs. The system will result in nearly 300,000 fewer pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and 4,356 fewer barrels of oil consumed over the life of the system.

“Going to a photovoltaic system was a huge commitment but also a natural step for us: not only does it help the environment, it significantly helps our bottom line,” said Josh Feldman, Tori Richard owner and CEO, in a statement. “While it feels nice to make ‘green’ decisions, the fact is the PV installation makes simple economic sense. Without significant cost savings, this would not be possible. We look forward to many more local businesses joining us in making the switch to alternative energy.”

Tori Richards has taken several measures to reduce electricity consumption in the past few years such as switching to low-e lighting, upgrading to more energy-efficient air-conditioning systems and installing reflective roof coatings, the company said.

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Hoku Solar, a subsidiary of Hoku Scientific (Nasdaq: HOKU), will install the 34-kilowatt system at the Xcel Building that will generate more than 53,500 kilowatt hours of renewable solar electricity per year. The system will generate enough electricity over its lifetime to power 151 homes for one year and offset more than 885 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, Hoku said.

The Xcel Building is Xcel’s headquarters and manufacturing facility for the wet-suit brand.

Shares of Hoku stock closed up nearly 3 percent to $6.03.

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The photovoltaic carport is the first of its kind in the state, according to Riley Seito, a senior manager with Sun Power Hawaii LLC, a contractor for the project.

The system, which was powered on a few weeks ago, is expected to produce roughly 400,000 kilowatt hours per year of power for the resort.
Hyatt spokeswoman Diann Hartman said that’s just a “smidgen” of the property’s annual energy consumption, but that doesn’t mean the impact is small. The system is expected to power the entire spa and then some.
Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative President and CEO Randy Hee said the Hyatt project has a high impact on the island’s dependence on foreign oil, but a low impact on the aesthetic value of the resort and area.

“As a co-op, we could look at it as a loss of sales,” Hee said. “But I see it as a gain in clean energy for the island.”
The system will reduce oil consumption by 27,000 gallons of diesel and eliminate 300 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, according to KIUC figures.
This, combined with other efforts, have collectively reduced the hotel’s energy bill by 1.5 million kilowatt hours per year compared to just a decade ago.
In-room recycling is the Hyatt’s next project expected to come online by 2009. While the resort already separates recyclables from trash in the back of the house, recycling bins in each room lets “guests feel like they’re participating,” Hartman said.
Being a “green” hotel attracts a new consumer, too. But that’s “incidental,” Doug Sears, the Kaua‘i Hyatt’s general manager, said. The greatest benefits are to the environment, the electricity bill and employee confidence in their employer.
“When they know they’re working for an environmentally conscious employer, they feel better about where they work and what they do,” he said.
Thoughts have already turned to installing photovoltaics above the main parking lot for guests.
“We hope it’s not far off in our future to have more carports,” Sears said.
For now, though, the hotel will “take a deep breath” and focus on the next major investment: a planned multi-million dollar renovation of all guest rooms possibly in 2010.

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The experiment was intended as a proof of concept for an ambitious proposal that calls for huge arrays of solar panels to orbit the Earth, collecting pristine solar radiation, free from the day/night cycles, weather and atmospheric effects that limit solar radiation down on the ground. The energy collected will be “beamed” down to power stations on the surface, either by microwave (or an alternative system, by laser) and then distributed as normal power across the grid [Discovery Channel]. Backers of this space-based solar technology say the potential benefits are enormous; the non-profit National Space Society says that the sun puts out billions of times more energy than our planet’s population uses.

This experiment, however, operated on a very small scale. Although the amount of power sent, 20 watts, is barely enough to power a small compact fluorescent light bulb, and most of it was lost in transmission, the system was limited by the budget not the physics [Wired News]. The experiment’s leader, former NASA executive and physicist John Mankins, said that if they had been able to afford more solar panels and better receivers they could have boosted efficiency considerably.

Solar-powered satellites won’t just be appearing on TV; both the U.S. military and the Japanese space agency are working on projects of their own. [T]he Air Force Academy recently announced plans for a small demonstration satellite that would beam down a meager, but still significant, 0.1 watts of solar power. “Our vision is to build the world’s first-ever space-based solar power system to light a single bulb on Earth and in so doing light the path for business to follow,” said Col. Michael “Coyote” Smith of the Air Force. [Meanwhile, Japan’s] goal is to launch a geostationary satellite by 2030 that could supply 500,000 homes on Earth with a gigawatt of power

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Hoku Solar plans to install an 87-kilowatt PV system at Prudential Locations’ Kapahulu Avenue office building. The system is expected to generate more than 136,000 kilowatt hours of clean, solar electricity each year. The solar power project is part of an ongoing renovation of Prudential Locations’ flagship office and contributes directly toward the company’s corporate sustainability initiative.

Once installed, Prudential Locations’ PV system is expected to produce enough electricity over its lifetime to power the equivalent of three hundred eighty-two homes for one year. Environmentally, it is expected to offset nearly 2,160 tons of carbon dioxide emissions — the equivalent of removing more than 139 cars from Hawaii’s roadways.

“Hoku is pleased to partner with Prudential Locations to complete this important project,” said Dustin Shindo, chief executive officer of Hoku Scientific. “Not only does PV make good business sense in Hawaii, Prudential is showing great community leadership by investing in clean, renewable energy for their Honolulu offices.”

“Our collaboration with Hoku to invest in new, innovative technology is one of many sustainability efforts that allow us to do our part to reduce our environmental footprint,” said Bill Chee, president and CEO of Prudential Locations. “We view this as a long-term partnership between our companies, and it is clear that Hoku shares Prudential’s focus on exemplary customer service.”

About Hoku Scientific, Inc.
Hoku Scientific is a diversified clean energy technologies company with three business units: Hoku Materials, Hoku Solar and Hoku Fuel Cells. Hoku Materials plans to manufacture, market, and sell polysilicon for the solar market from its plant currently under construction in Pocatello, Idaho. Hoku Solar is marketing and plans to install turnkey photovoltaic systems in Hawaii. Hoku Fuel Cells has developed proprietary fuel cell membranes and membrane electrode assemblies for stationary and automotive proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

For more information visit www.hokuscientific.com

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The system uses more than 1,540 individual Suntech modules to produce an estimated 525,000 kilowatt-hours of clean solar power each year. It is the third of three solar projects totaling 358kw of power the Hoku-Suntech team have implemented for Paradise Beverages.

Hoku Scientific and Suntech work together at multiple points in the solar supply chain. In Hawaii, Hoku deploys Suntech modules for many of its commercial installations, while Suntech has engaged Hoku to supply it with solar-grade polysilicon from its planned production facility in Pocatello, Idaho.

”This was another successful project for Hoku Solar and a great example of our partnership-driven approach,” said Dustin Shindo, chief executive officer of Hoku Scientific. ”Not only was it Hoku’s largest PV installation to date, but it was an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Suntech. Hoku takes pride in its partnership-driven approach and is pleased to be able to leverage our global solar industry partnerships for the benefit of our clients here at home.”

”These installations are among the first large-scale deployments of Suntech solar modules in Hawaii,” said Roger Efird, President of Suntech America. ”With abundant sunlight, Hawaii is an ideal location for generating solar energy and is already home to a quickly growing solar market. We are very pleased to be partnering with Hoku Solar to bring the benefits of solar to the people of Hawaii and its beautiful environment.”

About Hoku Scientific, Inc.

Hoku Scientific, Inc. (Nasdaq: HOKU) is a diversified clean energy technologies company with three business units: Hoku Materials, Hoku Solar and Hoku Fuel Cells. Hoku Materials plans to manufacture, market, and sell polysilicon for the solar market from its plant currently under construction in Pocatello, Idaho. Hoku Solar is a provider of turnkey photovoltaic systems in Hawaii. Hoku Fuel Cells has developed proprietary fuel cell membranes and membrane electrode assemblies for stationary and automotive proton exchange membrane fuel cells. For more information visit http://www.hokuscientific.com .

About Suntech

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. is a world leading solar energy company as measured by both production output and capacity of solar cells and modules. Suntech is passionate about improving the environment we live in and dedicated to developing advanced solar solutions that enable sustainable development. Suntech designs, develops, manufactures, and markets a variety of high quality, cost effective and environmentally friendly solar products for electric power applications in the residential, commercial, industrial, and public utility sectors. Suntech offers one of the broadest ranges of building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products under the MSK Solar Design Line(TM). Suntech has sales offices worldwide and is a market share leader in key global solar markets. For more information, please visit http://www.suntech-power.com .

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The closing of the sale is subject to various contingencies, including the sale by Operating Engineers of its current facility on Middle Street near downtown Honolulu.

"We are pleased by these developments," said Dustin Shindo, chief executive officer of Hoku Scientific. "The growth of our solar installations business here in Hawaii has changed our real estate needs. Our Kapolei facility was originally designed for research, development, and production of our fuel cell membrane and MEA products, and it no longer suits our solar panel warehousing, solar project development, and corporate office needs. Following the sale, we plan to relocate Hoku Scientific’s global headquarters and our Hoku Solar operations to a new facility on Oahu."

About Hoku Scientific, Inc.

Hoku Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOKU) is a diversified clean energy technologies company with three business units: Hoku Materials, Hoku Solar and Hoku Fuel Cells. Hoku Materials plans to manufacture, market, and sell polysilicon for the solar market from its plant currently under construction in Pocatello, Idaho. Hoku Solar is a provider of turnkey photovoltaic systems in Hawaii. Hoku Fuel Cells has developed proprietary fuel cell membranes and membrane electrode assemblies for stationary and automotive proton exchange membrane fuel cells. For more information visit www.hokuscientific.com.

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