Solar Electricity a Big Hit on “American Idol”

From the red carpet to school, FOX, BEF and E-Village Solar use star power to educate students about renewable energy.

Los Angeles, Calif. — April 21, 2009 — Star power of a different sort will be celebrated on Friday, April 24 at 9:15 a.m. as “American Idol” and Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) unveil a new 1.36-kilowatt solar-electric system at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy in Los Angeles.

FOX and “American Idol” partnered with Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), E-Village Solar and Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) to green last season’s “American Idol” finale, placing a solar-electric system on the red carpet and now bringing the power of the sun to Camino Nuevo.

With the system installation, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy joins BEF’s national Solar 4R Schools program, which teaches students and communities nationwide about renewable energy.

BEF donated solar panels and data monitoring for the 1.36-kilowatt solar-electric system as well as educational classroom materials. E-Village Solar donated the inverter and installation. The system, located on the roof of the high school building, will be used to teach students about photovoltaic technology, and will further the school’s mission of educating students in a college preparatory program to be literate, critical thinkers and independent problem-solvers who are agents of social justice with sensitivity toward the world around them.

“This opportunity will help our school and community take an active role in working towards a brighter future,” said Philip Lance, co-founder of Camino Nuevo Charter Academy. “Students will learn the importance of being energy efficient and environmentally aware, and of investing in renewable sources.”

About Solar 4R Schools and BEF
Solar 4R Schools (S4RS), developed and managed by the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), fosters knowledge and excitement about renewable energy by delivering hands-on experience with solar-electric systems to schools and communities throughout the United States. The most comprehensive solar schools program in the country, S4RS provides educational materials and real-time data monitoring, and has installed solar-electric systems at more than 100 schools nationwide. BEF supports this program and other renewable energy and watershed restoration projects with revenues generated by the sale of carbon offsets and through direct partnerships with sustainably focused funding partners. BEF recently launched a new website to help individuals learn more about carbon footprints and renewable energy: www.shrinkyourfoot.org.

About E-Village
E-Village Solar is a premier solar siting, development and system integrator company with a full line of solar-related products. E-Village provides solar solutions for residential, commercial and large-scale utility systems. For more information, please visit www.evillagesolar.com.

About LADWP
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation's largest municipal utility, provides reliable, low-cost water and power services to Los Angeles residents and businesses in an environmentally responsible manner. The LADWP has been a long-time leader in environmental stewardship and offers a vast array of energy and water saving programs and environmental efforts, such as the Solar Incentive Program. For more information, please log on to www.ladwp.com or call 1-800-GreenLA.

About FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) is a unit of News Corporation. FOX finished the 2007-2008 season as the No. 1 network for the fourth consecutive year among Adult 18-49 viewers, while continuing to dominate all network competition in the more targeted Adults 18-34 and Teen demographics. Additionally, FOX won the seasonal crown among all viewers for the first time in the network’s 21-year history. FOX airs 15 hours of primetime programming a week as well as late-night entertainment programming, major sports and Sunday morning news.

About Camino Nuevo Charter Academy
Camino Nuevo Charter Academy is a network of college preparatory public charter schools serving students in pre-school through high school. It was founded in August 2000 by Pueblo Nuevo Development, a nonprofit community development corporation in the MacArthur Park/Pico Union neighborhood of Los Angeles. This neighborhood is one of the poorest and most densely populated neighborhoods in Los Angeles. The mission of the school is to educate students in a college preparatory program to be literate, critical thinkers and independent problem solvers who are agents of social change.

About the PV and Monitoring Systems
The photovoltaic system includes eight Schott SAPC 170 Watt modules, allowing for a peak capacity of approximately 1,360 watts. It is expected to generate more than 1,820 kilowatt-hours per year. One E-village 1100 power inverter converts the DC output from the solar panels to grid-ready AC power. A data acquisition and monitoring system from Fat Spaniel Technologies, Inc. allows students to monitor current and historical energy production and weather conditions.