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MASON’S SCOTTISH RITE CENTER GOES GREEN

SPG Solar’s 100 Kilowatt Solar System To Generate $1.1 Million

SAN RAFAEL, CALIF. (February 21, 2005)—SPG Solar, Inc. (SPG) and the Oakland Scottish Rite Center are breaking ground on a 100 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) system for the 1927 landmark building on Lake Merritt. Paying for itself in just 11 years, the system will generate $1.1 million in avoided costs over its expected lifespan, money that will fund renovation of the building. “This system will help us reach our five megawatt solar goal, putting Oakland on the map as one of the country’s greenest cities. We congratulate the Scottish Rite Center for this strong statement to help build a better world,” commented Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown.

The photovoltaic solar system, mounted on the roof, will provide electrical power for the 75,000 square foot building’s offices, meeting rooms, stage and auditorium, ballroom, kitchens, and conference center. “This is one of the most beautiful venues in northern California, constructed long before energy efficiency was in anyone’s mind,” said Dan Thompson, President of SPG. “Electricity costs have been an escalating part of the Center’s budget, with no control in sight. We were very happy to be able to design a system that maintains the physical beauty of this historic landmark and, at the same time, generates a surplus of electricity that will be sold back to the utility company for a credit. Oakland is very pro-solar, so working with the City was easy, and PG&E was very accommodating.”

SPG will design and build the solar system to perform at its highest potential, yet remain hidden from view. The system will produce surplus energy on sunny days, which will be automatically routed to the regional PG&E grid for credit at retail utility rates. Solar energy, combined with utility credits that the Center can tap into for nighttime electric use, will eliminate 80-90% of the building’s net annual electric bill, and save approximately $30,000 per year in avoided electric costs. Assuming an energy inflation rate of 4%, the solar system will pay for itself nearly three times over during the 25-year warranty period.

“We think that electricity bills in California may be double what they are now when this project is paid off. Going solar gives us control over our electric utility rates, and we generate revenue to fund our renovations and programs. Equally important, we can accommodate our clientele’s desire to be green,” said Alex Kirkpatrick, General Manager of the Scottish Rite Center. “SPG offers a turnkey solar energy solution; designing, building, financing, coordinating with PG&E, and handling all the paperwork, which was a huge selling point for us.”

The Scottish Rite Center will receive a rebate for the solar system from the Self-Generation Incentive Program of PG&E, administered by the California Public Utilities Commission. The system will be monitored in real time by SPG’s proprietary SunSpot® software and hardware system. Along with weather station reporting, actual electrical production will be posted live to an interactive kiosk in the facility’s lobby, and also will be available on the Internet.

“We will have a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, February 23rd, at 10:00,” continued Kirkpatrick. We welcome Mayor Brown, and others interested in solar power, the Masons, and our facility to join us for solar demonstrations, tours of the facility and refreshments.”

How Solar Works

Solar energy systems are composed of photovoltaic (PV) panels, inverters and a performance monitor. PV panels convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. The inverters change the DC into safe, usable alternating current (AC), the same power supplied by electric utilities. The AC is distributed through a facility’s electrical service panels and flows to outlets, lights and switches. The performance monitor shows the amount of power the system is actually producing at any time. Solar is a clean and renewable form of electricity generation. PV systems generally have no moving parts (with the exception of solar tracking systems), is silent, runs all the time while the sun is shining, and produces zero emissions-air, ground or water.

About SPG Solar, Inc.

SPG is the industry's most experienced developer, designer, and installer of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for homes, businesses, and large-scale commercial and government facilities. SPG's commitment is to build the highest-performing solar PV systems with the highest return on investment. The result is clean, reliable electricity that reduces or eliminates customers' electric utility costs. Recent projects include the 1.18 megawatt Butte County Solar Center, which received the largest renewable energy rebate in state history totaling $4.2 million in 2004; and the 310 kilowatt installation for Western Wine Carriers, which is among the largest privately-owned commercial solar energy systems in the U.S. (www.spgsolar.com)

About the Scottish Rite Center and Freemasons

The Scottish Rite is a part of the Masonic Fraternity, the world’s largest and oldest fraternal organization. Founded in 1761, it has more than 300,000 members in the United States. The landmark Oakland Scottish Rite Center was built in 1927 on the shore of Lake Merritt. It houses the Scottish Rite fraternity, and is a public venue featuring a rococo ballroom, 1,400-seat auditorium, and a research library, as well as conference and banquet rooms used for wedding receptions, proms, concerts, plays, banquets, business meetings, and conventions. The facility also includes the Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Speech Disorders, the organization's primary charity, which has helped over 3,000 children to overcome language and learning problems. The Northern California Scholarship Foundation is also onsite, which has given over 2,000 college scholarships. In 2004, it gave 234 academic scholarships worth $1,300,000 to high school seniors from public high schools throughout Northern California. (www.scottish-rite.org)