FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Virginia Nicols, Corporate & Community Relations, EcoMotion

(949) 450-7153, vnicols@ecomotion.us

Irvine, CA January 17, 2007

EcoMotion Supports Solar Santa Monica Kick Off

Existing Solar Owners Recognized as City Aims for Energy Independence

Over 180 people braved the chill and crowded into Santa Monica’s Main Library courtyard and later, into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Auditorium to celebrate the kick-off of Solar Santa Monica, a new City program facilitated by EcoMotion.

“The energy this evening is incredible,” said Mayor Richard Bloom, who introduced the City’s current Solar Champions amid much applause. With a record-breaking 68 solar electricity and solar thermal installations already in place on City rooftops, Santa Monica is now embarking on a program aimed at covering every rooftop in the city with clean, renewable energy generation.

Master of Ceremonies Craig Perkins, from the City’s Public Works Department, acknowledged that the City studied many programs around the country before designing its own. “Solar Santa Monica has a number of unique features,” said Perkins. “We hope it will be so successful that other communities will follow our lead.” Two of those features, recommended and developed by EcoMotion, are the bundling of energy efficiency improvements with solar installations, and offering fixed-price “packages” of upgrades for residents. Thanks to the packages, Preferred Providers selected by the City will be able to buy in bulk and train crews for maximum efficiency.

Keynote Speaker Randy Udall, from the Colorado Organization for Resource Efficiency, praised Santa Monica for being in the vanguard of the solar movement worldwide.

“Combining energy efficiency with solar is brilliant, and necessary,” he said. He also spoke to the importance of Santa Monica’s citizens giving back, and “not just being pure consumers of energy.”

As soon as final selection of Preferred Providers is accomplished, teams will begin the process of assessing the homes and businesses that have already signed up for the program. According to Susan Munves, who heads up Solar Santa Monica for the City, over 175 residents have already indicated an interest in becoming the next generation of Solar Champions.

“Solar Santa Monica is starting strongly,” said EcoMotion President Ted Flanigan, in referring both to the Champions and to the evening. “We plan to build on this momentum by involving thousands of residents in saving energy, and by completing at least 50 successful efficiency/solar demonstration sites over the coming months.”

EcoMotion was selected to help design and implement the City’s program based on a competitive solicitation held in the fall of 1006.

Solar Owners in Santa Monica help kick off new City program aimed at creating local energy self-sufficiency by 2020.