Choate Construction Company Installs 74-kilowatt Photovoltaic (PV) Energy System

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Choate Construction Company Chooses Empower Energy for Innovative Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Energy System

Atlanta, Georgia – November 4, 2010 – Choate Construction Company has recently commissioned a Solyndra 74-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) energy system for their Headquarters building located at Northridge Plaza. The Solyndra system is now the largest in the Southeast and was designed and installed by Empower Energy Technology, LLC.

Choate operates offices in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina. Empower Energy Technology, an energy solutions provider based in Atlanta, Georgia has provided the engineering, contractor and integrator services for this advanced technology photovoltaic energy system installation.

Michael Swick, Director of Sustainability for Choate Construction said, “Choate Construction contracted with Empower Energy Technology because they presented us with an innovative solution and solar technology that provides the most solar production with a compelling ROI.”

Empower Energy Technology designed the rooftop system for Choate employing advanced technology solar panels from California-based Solyndra, Inc. Solyndra designs and manufactures proprietary cylindrical modules incorporating copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film technology. Their panels employ cylindrical modules which capture sunlight across a 360-degree photovoltaic surface capable of converting direct, diffuse and reflected sunlight into electricity.

The tubular design of a Solyndra module is “self-tracking”. Collecting light around a 360 degree surface allows it to capture more light early and late in the day with broader shoulders and less peak during the day. This consistent power generation during the day allows the use of a smaller inverter(s), saving costs and benefits the overall energy yield of a system over time.

“The Northridge Plaza project is ideal for the Solyndra technology,” said Mark Bell, President of Empower Energy. “Solyndra’s cylindrical module system allows us to overcome certain installation challenges that a conventional crystalline PV module and mounting system create.” Bell continued, “Unlike conventional PV modules, Solyndra’s cylindrical modules will capture both direct and reflected sunlight from the white, TPO surface of the new Northridge Plaza roof, turning it into clean electricity to be used by the building occupants.”

“This is only a start in what we at Choate view as a comprehensive energy management strategy.” said Swick. “Our goal is to exercise more control over our energy costs and turn the free sunlight that gets delivered to our rooftops into a real and measurable benefit – for Choate and our customers.”

For more information on this project please see http://www.choatesolar.com.

About Choate Construction Company:
Choate Construction Company is one of the largest commercial building general contractors in the southeastern United States with offices in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Choate provides preconstruction, construction, program management and design/build services with the singular focus of delivering the highest quality finished product, on time and within budget. Areas of specialty as a general contractor and interior contractor include: healthcare and biomedical; office buildings; technology; warehouse and distribution centers; industrial and manufacturing centers; governmental buildings and student housing; senior living; automotive dealerships and professional auto racing teams; and water treatment. For more information, please visit www.choateco.com.

About Solyndra:
Solyndra designs and manufactures photovoltaic systems, comprised of panels and mounting hardware, for the commercial rooftop market. Solyndra employs high volume manufacturing based on proven technologies and processes to meet the needs of the global solar market. Using proprietary cylindrical modules and thin-film technology, Solyndra systems are designed to provide the lowest cost of electricity on commercial rooftops by delivering the lowest total systems costs per watt and the highest kilowatt hour production per rooftop for typical installations. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Fremont, California, Solyndra operates a state-of-the-art 300,000 square foot fully-automated manufacturing complex.
http://www.solyndra.com/

About Empower Energy Technology, LLC:
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, with a satellite office in Ashville, North Carolina, Empower Energy Technology serves the needs of commercial and institutional clients for energy management and supplemental power solutions based on conventional and clean energy sources. Empower is a certified solar photovoltaic systems installer and also designs and implements high-efficiency lighting. They serve customers in the greater metro Atlanta area and other major cities in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi.
http://www.empoweret.com/

Contact:
Mark Bell (mbell@empoweret.com)
President
Empower Energy Technology, LLC
http://www.empoweret.com/
Phone: 404-681-3270