News

Kyocera Solar Modules to Power Long Island’s Fiesta Solar Community Café

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (April 17, 2003) – Kyocera Solar, Inc. announced today that it will be the exclusive provider of photovoltaic (PV) panels to the "Fiesta Solar Community Café," located in the old Brentwood train station of Long Island, New York.

The historic building, constructed in 1904, will incorporate an ultra-modern rooftop PV system from Kyocera to generate electricity from sunlight, as well as a separate solar thermal system to produce hot water. Forty-eight 120-watt Kyocera PV panels have already been installed during the first phase of the project, creating a 5.76kW electrical generating system that is providing more than 100% of the building’s required power during reconstruction.

During the project’s second phase, additional PV panels will be installed on both the café rooftop and an adjoining carport, powering exterior lighting and equipment.

Café owner Christopher Castro is also the owner of Solymar, an authorized Kyocera Solar Dealer/Installer serving the diverse Brentwood community. Castro plans a café menu based on fresh products and ingredients that are low in sugars, fat and cholesterol. "The Fiesta Solar Community Café will offer healthy food in an environmentally friendly establishment," he states with pride.

The café has been designed to meet all requirements of the U.S. Green Building Council’s "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" (LEED) certification program. It also benefits from the Pioneer Program of the Long Island Power Authority, which promotes solar energy in commercial and residential buildings through rebates of up to $5.00 per watt. General construction labor is being provided by volunteers from throughout Long Island; Castro continues to raise funds and recruit volunteers toward a November 2003 grand opening.

Kyocera Solar, Inc. is a world-leading supplier of environmentally sound, solar electric energy solutions, with headquarters in Scottsdale, AZ and sales affiliates in the Americas and Australia. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kyocera International Inc. of San Diego, the North American headquarters and holding company for Kyoto, Japan-based Kyocera Corporation.

Kyocera Corporation (NYSE: KYO), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera Corporation has become a leading supplier of solar energy systems, telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages, electronic components, cameras, laser printers, copiers and industrial ceramics.