The state-of-the-art system is made up of 3,311 Mitsubishi Electric 180-watt modules and one SatCon 500kW inverter. The system performance will be monitored by Pacific Power Management’s proprietary SolarWatch([TM]) with a display monitor for real time production measurement. Max Jones, General Manager of Operations of Universal Forest Products, Inc. said, “We are proud to say we are doing something that can help the environment like drawing on the sun, a renewable natural resource, which will help power our plant for many decades to come. This move to solar power follows along with UFP’S national goals, environmentally and fiscally.”

The cost of the system’s installation was partially offset with $1.1 million in solar rebates from PG&E and is expected to generate 800,000 kWh per year, meeting approximately 60-70% of the total energy costs of the manufacturing plant. Commenting on the new installation, John Chin, Account Executive of service and sales at PG&E said: "We applaud Universal Forest Products for its vision and wisdom to better manage their energy costs while also helping the environment. Advancing solar is consistent with our customers' energy vision and our goals of encouraging the development of clean and renewable power." Gina Heng, Director of Sales and Marketing for Mitsubishi Electric, USA – Photovoltaic Division, said “We are pleased our solar panel technology has been used for this large scale wood fabrication plant installation. We are honored to partner with two such innovative and respected companies.”

With rapidly rising energy costs, the solar installation will hedge against future rising costs for UFP, helping to reduce their costs for the distribution center. When the plant is not operating, their solar system will feed electrical power back into PG&E’s electrical grid.

Pacific Power Management is proud to have engineered and constructed this high performance system that will help reduce UFP’s carbon footprint by displacing over 32 million pounds of carbon dioxide and provide enough power to supply 3,325 homes over a 25-year period. Mark Frederick, managing partner of Pacific Power Management, commenting on Universal Forest Products installation, said: “UFP showed great initiative in going solar. They have shown leadership by making such a large investment in our environment, and after it has paid for itself, it will help give them a competitive advantage, allowing them the ability to offer job security at their plant in Thornton. We are proud to have engineered and constructed this high performance system for them".

Pacific Power recently participated in the West Coast Energy Management Congress (EMC), which will be held June 10-11,2009 in Long Beach, CA.

To learn more about EMC visit the show website at: www.energyevent.com

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