The New Children's Museum Opens in San Diego with 96.4-Kilowatt Solar Electric System Using Kyocera Solar Modules

The New Children’s Museum yesterday celebrated the opening of its new home at 200 West Island Avenue in downtown San Diego’s Marina District, in a facility equipped with a 96.4-kilowatt solar electric generating system. The system, composed of 576 Kyocera 200-watt PV modules, was designed and installed by Independent Energy Solutions, Inc. (IES) of Vista, California, and is expected to generate approximately 136,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year. The Museum provides a dynamic, playful public space and community center for children and families – a place to experience exciting art exhibitions, hands-on studio projects, performances, birthday parties, in-depth classes, camps and educational programs. Across the street from the new building is a beautiful park, extending the museum visit outdoors with space for running, climbing, family picnics and a view of the trains and trolley going by. The opening exhibition, titled "childsplay,” advances the Museum’s legacy of commissioning established and emerging artists to create work that engages children. The exhibition’s title is a reference to the art of Alan Kaprow, known for inciting a kind of installation art and performance piece that came to be known, in the late 1960s, as a "Happening.” Kaprow’s work inspired all of the art in "childsplay.” Local artist Brian Dick has interpreted two installations that Kaprow created with his sons — "Yard,” from 1961 and "No Rules, Except,” from 2000 — by merging them into a new project that celebrates the spirit of Kaprow’s interactions. The new artwork explores Dick’s commitment to recycled materials, and was inspired by the childish joy of jumping on a bed. Other artists featured in "childsplay” include Artigas, Roman de Salvo, Céleste Boursier Mougenot, Tanya Aguiñiga, Maria Alós, Amy Adler, Lee Boroson, Jim Brown/Public, Alberto Caro, Maurycy Gomulicki, Mark Mulroney, René Peralta, Nick Rodrigues, Ernest Silva, Diana Thater, Zlatan Vukosavljevic and Writerz Blok. For more information on Children’s Museum San Diego, see www.thinkplaycreate.org or call (619) 233-8792. About IES Independent Energy Solutions, Inc. (IES) is a full-service, renewable energy development, woman-owned engineering and construction firm with over 40 years of combined experience in photovoltaics (PV) and support infrastructure. IES projects span the globe and come in every size from small commercial to utility-scale applications. IES provides the "Total Solution,” tailored to your energy needs, local rate structures, rebate and incentive programs, and unique site requirements. IES can and will do the appropriate engineering, procurement and constructions needed to make sure systems are safe, reliable and cost-effective. Regardless of project size or complexity, IES is committed to providing excellent customer service. For additional information, please visit http://www.indenergysolutions.com/. About Kyocera Kyocera Solar, Inc. (http://www.kyocerasolar.com) is a world-leading supplier of environmentally sound, solar electric energy solutions. With operating headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz. and regional sales centers in the U.S., Brazil and Australia, Kyocera Solar, Inc. serves thousands of customers in both developed and developing regions. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kyocera International, Inc. of San Diego, the North American headquarters and holding company for Kyoto, Japan-based Kyocera Corporation. Kyocera Corporation (NYSE: KYO) (http://www.kyocera.com), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera Corporation has become a leading supplier of solar energy systems, telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages, electronic components, laser printers, copiers and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2008, the company’s net sales totaled 1.29 trillion Yen (approximately $12.9 billion).