News

Kyocera Supplies 57.6kW Solar System to West Marine Products

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (June 12, 2003) – Kyocera Solar, Inc., a leading supplier of solar electric generating systems, has provided a 57.6-kilowatt photovoltaic solar array to West Marine Products of Santa Cruz, Calif.

The array, designed and installed by Solar Technologies, an authorized Kyocera dealer, consists of 480 Kyocera 120-watt solar panels that will provide up to 81,000 kWh of electricity annually -- enough to power up to 20 average-sized area homes. Managers of the West Marine outlet expect the system to offset up to 67% of the store’s total demand for electricity.

West Marine’s 5,000-square foot retail location at 2450 17^th Ave. is part of a 260-store nationwide chain operated by Watsonville, Calif.-based West Marine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: WMAR). The company was able to benefit from a variety of government incentives for the solar array, including a 50 percent rebate from the California Public Utilities commission; an additional 15 percent "after rebate" California State tax credit; a 10 percent federal tax credit; and an accelerated five-year depreciation schedule that includes a 30% depreciation allowance in the first year.

"West Marine is committed to using proven technology with a reasonable payback time to reduce our impact on the environment," said Randy Repass, Chairman of the Board for West Marine Products, Inc. "Our system, designed and installed by Solar Technologies with Kyocera panels and Sunny Boy inverters, provided the environmental and financial payback we were looking for."

Solar Technologies Founder Roger DeNault chose Kyocera solar panels because of their excellent cost-to-efficiency ratio. "Less roof area was required to provide the desired output, which also means less weight on the roof," DeNault said. "Kyocera is a great company that really stands behind its product. It is important to do business with a reliable company like Kyocera, since we know they will be around to honor the 25-year warranty they offer.

Kyocera Solar, Inc. (www.kyocerasolar.com) 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 (NYSE: KYO).

Solar Technologies (www.solartechnologies.com a division of Independent Energy Systems, Inc., specializes in the design, engineering and installation of photovoltaic systems for commercial and residential applications, and is one of the most active solar PV suppliers in the Northern California area.