Eileen M. Smith, M.Arch. - Founder and CEO of SOLAR DEVELOPMENT COOPERATIVE is available for PRESS CONFERENCE to answer questions related to the status of demand-site consumer services from distribution utilities, the BI-PV industry, the Million Solar-Rooftops By 2010 Program, restructuring of the energy industry, our new BI-PV PEP USA Program and the Solar Development Cooperative.

NEWS INDEX FOR MAY 1998:

1. FEATURE STORY - CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION: In response to my many requests for inclusion of demand-site consumer [also known as demand-side generation or distributed generation (DG)] information be included to educate the consumers about this choice in the energy industry restructuring education packets mailed to all California consumers, Michael D. McNamara, Chief of the Market Development Branch of the Office of Ratepayer Advocates wrote me a letter dated May 28th to request my participation in his request for an Order Instituting Rulemaking to be sent to President Bilas June 5th, 1998.

   All consumers and citizens of the United States may participate in this request and rulemaking by first sending a letter as shown here -indicating they would like to cosign the request for an Order Instituting Rulemaking into the Utility Distribution Company's role in Distributed Generation (DG).

   The letter to President Bilas with the Statement of Signatories, Definition of Terms and Core Questions will all be included on our website in the near future. Please contact the ORA directly at the address and phone number provided to request a copy be mailed to you.

2. California Energy Commission - Hearing June 3rd, 1998 for Proposals on How to Manage the $5.4 million Consumer Education Trust Fund for the California Renewables Technology Program

3. One Million Solar Rooftops In USA 1997-2010 Program

   20,000 PROJECTS IN EVERY STATE IN TWELVE YEARS
   1,667 Projects A Year In Each State
   83,333 Total Projects A Year
   With Average Systems Of 2 Kilowatt Peak Costing $5 Watt
   TOTAL OF $10 BILLION DOLLARS OF SOLAR ROOFTOP COMMERCE 1997-2010
   2,000 Megawatts of Renewable and Sustainable Clean Electricity
   Average of 10 Watts Per SF Demands 200 Million SF PV Surface

4. PV Alliance meeting Monday June 8th, 1998
   Location: Southern California
   South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD)
   21865 E. Copley Drive
   Diamond Bar, CA 92765-4182
   714-396-2000

5. YATES CENTER DAYS - BI-PV INDUSTRY EXHIBIT FOR HOMETOWN

   In March, Mayor Vernon Burkhart wrote and invited me to provide an exhibit for the annual Yates Center Days celebration Memorial Day Weekend so local people could get an idea of what kinds of photovoltaic products the community might pursue as Yates Center citizens contemplate opening a photovoltaics manufacturing plant. Since my first discussion with Mayor Burkhart at last year's festivities, President Clinton endorsed the Million Solar Rooftops In USA By 2010 Program. This initiative calls for the opening of at least twenty photovoltaic manufacturing plants to accommodate the $10 billion dollars of PV surface this deployment program demands. April 1st of this year, California begun restructuring of their state energy industry providing a competitive marketplace for electricity generation. This is a timely opportunity for Yates Center and other small communities to develop related PV manufacturing opportunities. The Solar Development Cooperative provided an exhibit and an educational seminar during the week of Yates Center Days for citizens of Woodson County, Kansas and the Tri-County Area. We provided a brief presentation for the County Commissioners on Tuesday morning, May 26th. The Solar Development Cooperative and our affiliates look forward to the possibility of assisting Yates Center in opening a BI-PV manufacturing plant in the next year. Its central location would provide economic transport of solar electrict building materials to every area of the United States.

   Activities In Yates Center

   The stately Yates Center Courthouse was designed by the architect Mr. Washburn. It sits in the center of the historic merchants square. The structure is registered with the list of National Trust of Historic Places.

   There are a number of interesting building projects going on in the Yates Center area including the restoration of the beautiful turn of a century hotel that graces the northwest side of the town square. The Yates Center Bank graced the Southwest corner of the square until the early 1970s. Everyone realizes, today, what a tremendous loss it was to destroy this building. The town is united in their effort to restore the historic hotel. It would have a double benefit because hotel accommodation is very limited in the community.

   I stayed at Health Insights. It is located in the historic structure that was known as Lights Hardware during my childhood days. Dr. Atkins, a long-time resident of Yates Center purchased the building several years, ago. They accomplished a beautiful restoration of this building and provide the community with a health spa including racket ball courts, exercise equipment, a hot tub and a dance studio area. I assisted in posting pictures of graduates from Yates Center High on the windows at Health Insights. Graduates date back to the 1890s.

   I was offered a tour of the small historic stone jail a half block off the square. It is quite small, but built of huge cut stone with a large cornice around the base. The Mayor is considering restoring the historic jail and converting it to a mini Historic Tall Grass Prairie Jail Museum. He indicated there is significant interest in tearing down the unsightly jail that was built on the land near the historic Woodson County Courthouse in the 1970s. The Mayor would like to combine a small new prison with the jail museum for those few unfortunates who are arrested by the easy-going small-town citizenry. A local athlete was pictured on the front cover of Sports Illustrated when I was in high school. They rightfully referred to Yates Center as a picturesque village. Prisoners are often provided old fashioned small town hospitality with lunch from the historic Frannie's Restaurant above Health Insights.

   Frannie's Restaurant

   The restaurant's founder, Francis Ward was my Bible School teacher as a youth. Several years ago, she opened Frannie's Restaurant that offers lunch for One Dollar -including choice of tea, koolaid or coffee. Fastfood dollar hamburgers just don't compare. She is really a good cook. The day I traveled back to Orange County, California I feasted on her delicious meatloaf lunch complete with vegetables, potatoe salad and bread. If that isn't enough -for one more dollar, you can buy a piece of her homemade pie for desert. Every morning, she makes a variety of lucious fruit and pudding pies that are as beautiful as they are tasty. Frannie's was featured on CBS news a few years ago.

   1887 Historic Stone Flemming Home - near Yates Center

   It was a real treat to be commissioned to assist in designing an elegant country home with a local family. The dilemma came when they showed me the historic 1887 stone home they want to incorporate into the new structure. I could really relate to their love of this beautiful 1887 home with a dated Flemming Family headstone gracing the facade of the second floor. The problem is the building has been deteriorating, and is in a country woods location where its historic elegance can only be enjoyed by a very few people. If left there it will continue to deteriorate. They want to document the building and do a film documentary of the process of dismantling the stone structure. In their search for related information, they found very little guidance.

   There are several small stone structures near the home. They had begun to dismantle some of these, but were finding even the small stones of these structures a time consuming challenge to move. We discussed the possibility of moving the main structure into Yates Center near the square where it could be restored to its original grandeur and become an historic landmark of the community. Moving the huge stones of the home for whatever reason is going to be a real bit of work. The location where my friends are building their new home has a choice view. It will be a treat to be involved in this special project combining historic cut sandstone and timbers topped with a rooftop of building-integrated photovoltaics.

   Yates County, New York A Yates Center Web Page

6. 1998 Solar Winter Gala - We Welcome Volunteers & Prizes To Make This Event Really Special This Year.

   ENTER THE 1998 ORANGE COUNTY SOLAR WINTER GALA ALL SCHOOLS POSTER CONTEST

7. THE SOLAR DEVELOPMENT COOPERATIVE IS IN THE PROCESS OF ORGANIZING AN
   INTERNATIONAL BI-PV DESIGN COMPETITION FOR ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS

8. TEN WINNING DESIGNS TO BE PUBLISHED IN BOOK:

   A DOMES DAY BOOK FOR THE NEW MILLENIUM
   HEADRICK SOLAR-VOLTAIC DOME(R)POWER STATION

   A PATTERN BOOK FOR ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS

9. UNIVERSITY R & D FOR FUTURE GENERATION PV TECHNOLOGIES
   RFP Response Due: June 15, 1998 at 4:00 pm

   National Renewable Energy Laboratory
   A Division of the Midwest Research Institute
   1617 Cole Boulevard
   Golden, CO 80401-3393