Largest solar project in a national park, Yosemite, features SolarWorld solar panels in three formats

Park project includes roof-mount, parking-canopy and wall-mount systems

 
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HILLSBORO, Ore., July 27, 2011 – The new largest solar installation in a U.S. national park features high-performance solar panels from SolarWorld, the largest U.S. photovoltaic manufacturer for more than 35 years, in roof-mount, parking-canopy and wall-mount systems at Yosemite National Park. The installation, dedicated today in a ceremony at the El Portal Administrative Complex in the 1,189-square-mile park, marks an advance in self-sufficiency and sustainability for the treasured wilderness reserve in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.

Showcasing the work of U.S. tradesmen and factories, the 672-kilowatt project at the park’s administrative and maintenance center comprises a 500-kilowatt parking canopy offering cover for center employees and visitors; a 100-kilowatt roof-mount system atop a warehouse; and a 72-kilowatt system on a sloped wall of an office building. Each is composed of SolarWorld 240-watt mono-crystalline silicon solar panels made in Hillsboro, Ore., site of the company’s U.S. headquarters, and Camarillo, Calif., home of the longest-running U.S. solar factory. The park estimates the solar installation will supply about 12 percent of the park’s total power consumption.

 
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“The combination of harnessing California’s abundant sunlight and technology and labor provided by U.S. workers ideally suits this energy advance for Yosemite National Park,” Superintendent Don Neubacher said. “Solar panels from SolarWorld, along with the contributions of a number of other U.S.-based service firms and manufacturing enterprises, will maximize the sustainable impact on this effort to not only take care of the park but stretch the planet’s resources.”

SolarWorld authorized installer Suntrek Industries Inc., based in Irvine, Calif., undertook the installation along the scenic Merced River. The park is known for granite formations, such as Half Dome and El Capitan, that legendary photographer Ansel Adams indelibly captured. “This project was about protecting an amazing national park,” said Alex Smith, project manager for Suntrek. “What better way to protect the park than with solar energy?” Kevin Kilkelly, president of SolarWorld Americas, said the company, many of whose U.S. employees date back to the early years of domestic solar manufacturing, couldn’t be prouder to supply solar panels to help operate a jewel in the crown of the U.S. park system. “This project will go down as a magical milestone for us,” Kilkelly said.

 
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About SolarWorld (www.solarworld-usa.com)

SolarWorld (ISIN: DE0005108401) is a worldwide leader in offering brand-name, high-quality, crystalline silicon solar-power technology. The company’s strength is its fully integrated solar production. From silicon as the raw material through wafers, cells and panels all the way to turn-key solar systems of all sizes, the group combines all stages of the solar value chain. The central business activity is selling high-quality panels into the installation and distribution trades and wafers to the international solar cell industry. Group headquarters are located in Bonn, Germany, with sales sites in Singapore, South Africa, Spain, France as well as in the U.S. state of California. The group’s largest production facilities operate in Freiberg, Germany, and Hillsboro in the U.S. state of Oregon. Sustainability is the basis of the group strategy. Under the name Solar2World, the group supports community aid projects using off-grid solar-power solutions in developing countries, exemplifying sustainable economic development. Worldwide, SolarWorld employs about 3,300 people. SolarWorld AG has been quoted on the stock exchange since 1999 and today is listed on, among others, the TecDAX and ÖkoDAX as well as in the sustainability index NAI.

Media Contact:

Devon Cichoski
Media relations manager
SolarWorld Americas
4650 Adohr Lane
Camarillo, CA 93012
Mobile: 805-377-2905
Office: 805-388-6388
devon.cichoski(at)solarworld-usa.com