groSolar to give away a solar electric system valued at $40,000

September 9, 2009, San Diego, Calif. --- A drag racing championship without gas fumes and roaring engines? America’s love affair with the automobile also includes alternative energy enthusiasts, and organizers of the upcoming Kick Gas Festival in San Diego know it. The festival aims to make renewable energy part of our national identity, so that reducing our carbon footprint becomes as American as baseball, apple pie, and yes, drag racing.

groSolar, a nationwide solar power company, today announced it will be a proud sponsor of the Kick Gas Festival on October 24 at the Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

groSolar is offering a free solar power system to one lucky San Diego County audience member, a value of $40,000, via a sweepstakes drawing at the festival. Sweepstakes entrants will also be encouraged to take action on residential energy efficiency long after the festival is over, by joining a free online "low carbon diet" program offered by Carbon Shredders, pledging to make simple changes that can measurably reduce one’s carbon footprint. The Carbon Shredders program includes an online measurement tool that calculates the collective impact of all participants over time, measuring long-term savings and C02 emissions reductions by Kick Gas Festival participants.

The event also features a drag racing championship of exclusively electric cars, and a solar-powered music festival with performances from bands including Deadline Friday, Cathryn Breeks Ordeal, and Sweetooth. Last year’s festival drew a crowd of 18,000 and organizers expect this year’s event to draw even more.

groSolar is a proud sponsor of the festival in partnership with Carbon Shredders, a non-profit collaboration of citizens and institutions focused on energy conservation and education.

"The Kick Gas Festival is Earth Day on steroids," said Sky Holt, an executive at Finest City Broadcasting, the organizer of the event. "This event showcases innovative alternative fuel technologies within an interactive and entertaining festival environment. We're thrilled to partner with groSolar and Carbon Shredders to help San Diegans reduce our C02 footprint and learn about renewable energy."

"The Kick Gas Festival is a single event that will take on a life of its own, and hopefully engender a real commitment to our clean energy future. Small changes in behavior can significantly reduce household C02 emissions and energy costs, " said Gaelan Brown, VP of Marketing of groSolar. "We're excited to be partnering with Carbon Shredders and Kick Gas for this event, combining a "take action" message with a chance to win a free solar electric system to the San Diego community."

"We've helped thousands of people learn how they can reduce their C02 emissions and save money on energy costs. It's a simple, powerful message that anyone can relate do," said Bob Ferris, co-founder of Carbon Shredders. "The average household that takes these steps to reduce their energy use by 10% will save approximately $1,200 per year on energy costs. Some of our members are saving more than $3000 per year just from taking basic household efficiency steps. Who doesn't want to save money and help the environment?"

The Kick Gas Sweepstakes for a free groSolar solar power system and Carbon Shredder¹s program will be promoted online and through 91X and Magic 92.5 FM, as well as at several local events throughout September and October leading up the Kick Gas Festival. Highlights of the pre-festival promotions include the Paddle for Clean Water event featuring a solar-powered stage on Sept 13, a Magic 92.5 Summer Block Party on Sept 26 and several street-awareness campaigns throughout San Diego.

More information at www.91x.com/gogreen and www.kickgasfestival.com.

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About groSolar
groSolar is North America’s premier distributor, installer and integrator of solar energy solutions for residential and commercial installations. Founded in 1998, groSolar is the largest 100 percent U.S.-owned distribution company in the solar industry. The company has offices and warehouses across the continent, distributing solar electric and solar hot water systems from offices in VT, NJ, NY, CT, MA, MD, DE, PA, CO, MT, and CA. groSolar integrates components from leading solar manufacturers including Evergreen Solar, PanelClaw, Motech, Heliodyne, SMA, Fronius and UniRac into simple solar energy solutions for customers that generate clean, reliable energy for decades. groSolar is a mission-driven company dedicated to providing high quality solar energy solutions and whole energy appreciation. groSolar’s venture capital investors include NGP Energy Technology Partners, SJF Ventures, and Calvert Social Investment Fund. Learn more at groSolar.com or call 800.374.4494.