Check out bold area below, that should replace a "few" <g> lead acid batteries next year.Patience grasshopper.
VRB Power Announces Strategic Marketing Initiative in California and Commencement of Cell Stack Assembly at its Richmond, BC Facility
Friday January 27, 9:30 am ET
VANCOUVER, Jan. 27 /CNW/ - VRB Power Systems Inc. (TSX-V: VRB - News) announces a strategic marketing initiative focused on the large Californian markets. VRB Power has retained StrateGen Consulting LLC to support and coordinate this initiative.
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StrateGen is a California-based consulting firm focused on developing and implementing successful market entry and market development strategies for renewable energy and clean technology firms. StrateGen will also assist VRB Power to implement its wider sales and marketing initiatives in other key international markets.
StrateGen brings to bear considerable experience and expertise in energy technology, particularly in the renewable energy and distributed power industries. StrateGen's Managing Partner, Janice Lin, will lead the effort. Ms Lin recently held several senior management roles including VP of Product Strategy and VP of Business Development with the PowerLight Corporation, a leading designer and installer of large-scale grid-connected solar electric systems and energy efficiency services. Janice holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, a BS from the Wharton School of Business and a BA in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania's College of Arts and Sciences.
California is a key potential market for VRB Power with the combination of high electricity prices and concerns over the reliability of electricity supply in certain areas. These factors, combined with large State incentive programs to encourage the adoption and implementation of renewable sources of energy, provide significant opportunities for VRB Power's energy storage technologies.
VRB Power CEO, Tim Hennessy, said "StrateGen has strong connections in the renewable energy and distributed power industries as well as with government and trade organizations, particularly in California. VRB Power has already identified a number of opportunities in California with a particular emphasis on renewable energy installations. With her industry knowledge and contacts, Janice will assist in the development of our California opportunities and the sourcing of additional projects."
"Janice will also assist with the development of our California and Federal regulatory strategy in support of rapid system deployment. We believe that this approach will help us generate high profile sales opportunities for a variety of applications within California. We also believe that Janice and her team will be a key part of our Sales and Marketing efforts going forward," concluded Hennessy.
StrateGen Managing Partner, Janice Lin, said, "VRB Power's products have the potential to be the enabling technology to speed market adoption of renewable energy generation sources and provide greater grid reliability overall. What's really exciting is that VRB Power can cost-effectively improve our energy security with minimal environmental impact as compared to conventional energy storage solutions. I look forward to helping VRB realize its potential in California and worldwide."
VRB Power is also pleased to announce that assembly of its small cell stacks for initial orders and field trial units commenced in early January 2006 in its new, turnkey Richmond, BC facility. Commissioning of the Company's first in-house acceptance testing station is currently underway and the facility is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of February, 2006. At that time, VRB Power will cease testing its cell stacks at the BC Research Institute and all aspects of its assembly and final testing process will be consolidated in the new Richmond facility.
Tim Hennessy said, "As we increase production capacity throughout 2006 we will add additional acceptance testing stations. We currently estimate ultimate capacity per shift at the Richmond facility to be approximately 2,500 five kilowatt cell stacks and approximately 300 fifty kilowatt cell stacks per year. We anticipate reaching this capacity during 2007."
About StrateGen Consulting
StrateGen Consulting LLC is a California-based consulting firm focused on developing and implementing successful market entry and market development strategies for renewable energy and clean technology firms. StrateGen specializes in developing compelling value propositions through the strategic integration of product, market and regulatory strategy. Its mission is to accelerate the market adoption of renewable energy and clean technologies, deliver measurable results to clients and ensure a sustainable environment for the future.
About VRB Power
Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, VRB Power Systems Inc. ("VRB Power") is an electrochemical energy storage company that is commercializing the patented VRB(TM) Energy Storage System ("VRB-ESS(TM)") and has acquired the intellectual property rights comprising the Regenesys Energy Storage System ("RGN-ESS(TM)").
Both technologies represent a new enabling capability to effectively store large amounts of electricity on demand. They can provide direct economic benefits to utilities and end users in terms of improved power quality, reliability and energy efficiency and are particularly well suited to load levelling (peak shaving), electrical power arbitrage, grid stability enhancements, capital deferment and Remote Area Power Supply (RAPS) applications. The VRB-ESS is focused towards stationary applications such as utility substations, commercial buildings, production facilities, telecommunication operations, cellular radio sites and renewable resource generation such as wind and solar applications, where its utilization creates the ability to provide "firm" capacity.
As a "green" technology, the VRB-ESS is characterized by having a low ecological impact and is unlike most other conventional energy storage systems that rely on toxic substances such as lead or cadmium. VRB Power is publicly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange ("VRB") and the OTC Pinksheets ("VRBPF").
Warning: VRB Power's press releases may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs which are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties (including, but not limited to, the risk factors described in VRB Power's Annual Information Form filed with the British Columbia Securities Commission and available at www.sedar.com) that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release.
The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy
or accuracy of this release.
Simon Clarke
EVP Corporate Development, VRB Power Systems Inc.
For further information
please contact: VRB Power Systems Inc. at (604) 697-8820
Investor Relations at (604) 697-8835
Or visit the company's web site at: www.vrbpower.com |
