MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - July 31, 2001. The California power crisis has caused rate structure increases rising to 25¢ per kWh and time-of-day usage charges of 30¢ per kWh, resulting in a more than doubling of power bills for large consumers of electricity. This has dramatically increased public sensitivity to the uncertainty of future costs and the importance of energy considerations in planning, designing, building, and operating personal residences, commercial spaces, and public buildings. The strong interest in the upcoming Strategies In Solar Electric Building Conference on the resulting business opportunities for the construction industry confirms the enthusiasm for new ways to address energy needs.

Solar panels, once thought of as just a way to supplement hot water and swimming pool heating, are playing an increasing part in total energy solutions. The cost of solar electric systems has come down over 90% in the last two decades, making the economics more viable. The grid-connected solar electric market grew 74% in 2000, largely for residential applications. Despite the current economic slowdown, Strategies Unlimited, the leading photovoltaics market research firm, forecasts growth in excess of 40% for 2001. Major photovoltaic equipment manufacturers BP Solar, Siemens Solar, Kyocera, AstroPower, and Sharp have all announced plans to more than double their production capacities.

A first-of-its-kind event, Strategies In Solar Electric Building is attracting senior management from major building firms and solar electric product manufacturers, as well as architects, designers, and investors nationwide and from around the world. The 1½-day conference is being organized by Strategies Unlimited and will be held at the San Mateo (California) Marriott Hotel, near the San Francisco Airport on September 20 and 21.

The conference will address a comprehensive range of topics, including the market outlook for solar electric construction, latest solar electric products and services, and government support programs. "We are pleased to have executives from the leading national residential and commercial building firms and the National Association of Home Builders present their experiences with solar electric projects, " reports Robert Johnson, Director, Photovoltaic Services at Strategies Unlimite d. "Panel discussions and presentations will address the dramatic increase in interest in all facets of solar electric building that we have seen in recent months." Rounding out the program will be presentations on architectural and design issues, photovoltaic product life, homeowner reaction to living in a solar electric home, international experiences in Germany and Japan, and investment perspectives from Wall Street.

"Interest in the conference has surged," said Johnson. "To meet the demand, we have expanded our meeting space, but space is limited, so we encourage those who want to attend to register soon."

A detailed program and registration for Strategies In Solar Electric Building are available on the Strategies Unlimited Web site, http://www.strategies-u.com. For more information on the conference or other Strategies Unlimited industry services, contact Strategies Unlimited at +1-650-941-3438 (phone), +1-650-941-5120 (fax), or e-mail at info@strategies-u.com.

Founded in 1979, Strategies Unlimited specializes in market research, consulting, and newsletters on compound semiconductor materials, optoelectronics, optical communications, photovoltaics, and RF/wireless components industries. The company is based in Mountain View, California.