AeroVironment Installs Wind Turbines on Roof of New Kettle Foods Potato Chip Factory
October 25 2007
AV's Architectural Wind System Helps Kettle's Wisconsin Plant Earn Prestigious LEED Gold Certification for Sustainable Design
MONROVIA, Calif., Oct. 25, 2007 - AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a leader in unmanned aircraft systems and efficient electric energy systems, has installed its Architectural Wind system on the roof of the new Beloit, Wis., manufacturing facility of Kettle Foods, a Salem, Ore.-based producer of all-natural potato chips and other snack foods. The Beloit installation includes 18 wind turbines.
AV's Architectural Wind system played a key role in Kettle Foods' receipt of the U.S. Green Building Council Gold level certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The certification acknowledges the company's efforts to minimize the environmental footprint of its new 73,000-square-foot plant. Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle was on-site to cut the ribbon when the potato chip factory opened in September.
"We're proud to receive this kind of recognition for our ongoing commitment to sustainable initiatives," said Tim Fallon, president of Kettle Foods North America. "The contribution of AeroVironment in helping us meet our ambitious green-building standards was most significant."
Small, modular and creating little or no structural impact, AV's Architectural Wind system is designed for quick and easy installation onto the parapet of a new or existing tilt-up or pre-cast building, allowing the turbines to take advantage of the building's unique aerodynamics. Assuming normal wind conditions, the 18 wind turbines on the Kettle Foods facility are projected to generate approximately 28,000 kilowatt hours of power each year - enough to produce 56,000 bags of potato chips, according to Fallon.
AV's sleek wind turbine recently won two prestigious honors of its own: the Red Dot International Design award (for design concept in the "green" category) and the 2007 Annual Design Review award (in the equipment category) from I.D., The International Design Magazine.
More information about the Architectural Wind system is available via email at wind@avinc.com or on the Web at www.avinc.com/wind.
AV is a pioneer in advanced energy system technologies. Since 1977, it has maintained a continuous presence in wind power technology, conducting more than 250 sponsored projects and investing in, developing, owning and managing wind farms. AV's new building-integrated Architectural Wind is a small, modular wind-turbine system that provides an attractive clean-energy generating technology for use in both urban and suburban environments.
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About AeroVironment, Inc. (AV)
Building on a history of technological innovation, AV designs, develops, produces, and supports an advanced portfolio of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and efficient electric energy systems. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company's hand-launched UAS to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition. Commercial and government entities use AV's clean transportation solutions such as electric vehicle test systems and electric vehicle fast charge systems, as well as its clean energy solutions. More information about AV is available at www.avinc.com.
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Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are made on the basis of current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors outside of our control, that may cause our business, strategy or actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, our ability to perform under existing contracts and obtain additional contracts; changes in the regulatory environment; the activities of competitors; failure of the markets in which we operate to grow; failure to expand into new markets; failure to develop new products or integrate new technology with current products; and general economic and business conditions in the United States and elsewhere in the world. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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AeroVironment, Inc.
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For AeroVironment, Inc.
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