AeroVironment Installs Wind Turbines on Roof of New Kettle Foods Potato Chip Factory
MONROVIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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.
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. The company's small UAS are used extensively by agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and increasingly by allied military services to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition. AV's PosiCharge® fast charge systems eliminate battery changing for electric industrial vehicles in factories, airports, and distribution centers. More information about AV is available at www.avinc.com.
MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5527778
CONTACT: AeroVironment, Inc.
Steven Gitlin, 626-357-9983
pr@avinc.com
or
For AeroVironment, Inc.
Stan Michelson, Focus Communications
562-437-9933, stan@4focus.com
SOURCE: AeroVironment, Inc.