Fat Spaniel Launches String Monitoring Service for Commercial Solar Electric Systems.

Service Optimizes Energy Generation, Reduces Maintenance Costs for Large-Scale Solar Electric Systems

SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Fat Spaniel Technologies, the market leader in providing monitoring and reporting services for distributed renewable energy systems, today announced its new String Monitoring Service. The service is designed to enable solar electric Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) service providers, system installers, and system operators to better manage and maximize commercial-scale solar electric energy generation.

The String Monitoring Service allows maintenance staff to quickly pinpoint and resolve problems with failed strings of modules or failed individual solar modules that can otherwise go undetected for years. Quick problem resolution results in increased energy production and increased project cash flows.

"Fat Spaniel's String Monitoring Service will enable us to cost- effectively find and fix even small problems before they have the chance to sap the energy output of the solar array, ensuring that we are delivering the high quality of service and performance that our customers expect," said Norm Nielsen, president of Chico Electric.

"The emergence of third-party ownership models, Power Purchase Agreements and performance-based incentive mechanisms means that revenue streams in the solar industry are increasingly tied to the actual energy output of systems. Our new String Monitoring Service is designed to protect these revenue streams over the long term," said Chris Beekhuis, president and CTO of Fat Spaniel Technologies. "We are working with combiner box manufacturers to 'monitoring enable' their products using off-the-shelf components, thereby eliminating the risk to customers of purchasing proprietary hardware."

The new String Monitoring Service allows any Fat Spaniel-enabled combiner box to support a range of real-time and historical monitoring capabilities including:

  -- Cost-Effective Multi-String Management - The ability to accurately
       measure and analyze DC current for up to 24 strings from a single
       combiner box reduces hardware costs.
  -- Real-Time Status Alerts - Customizable alerts deliver instant email or
       SMS notifications when individual string faults occur, making it easy
       to pinpoint problems and reduce system downtime.
  -- Insight Manager(TM)Portal - Designed to simultaneously manage multiple
       commercial-scale renewable energy systems, Insight Manager delivers
       the full spectrum of Fat Spaniel's remote energy monitoring,
       reporting and fault management services in a comprehensive web-based
       portal.

  About Fat Spaniel Technologies

Based in San Jose, Calif., Fat Spaniel Technologies, Inc. is the leading provider of critical information services for distributed, renewable energy systems - enabling more efficient diagnostics and maintenance, more compelling visualization, and more usable revenue-grade data for billing, REC trading and performance-based incentives. Fat Spaniel acts as an independent, third party monitoring service provider and delivers information that is used by system owners, system installers, PPA service providers, equipment manufacturers, project financing firms, renewable energy credit markets and energy utility regulatory agencies. The company specializes in renewable energy systems including grid-tied solar electric, solar water heating, geothermal and wind. Fat Spaniel products are presently deployed in over 900 locations across the United States and Canada as well as nine other countries. With our customers and partners, we share the vision of a world where renewable energy is the first and best energy source. For more information, see http://www.fatspaniel.com/.

  Press contact:
  Rosalind Jackson
  Antenna Group (for Fat Spaniel)
  [e-mail]
  415-977-1923

CONTACT: Rosalind Jackson of Antenna Group, [phone], [e-mail], for Fat Spaniel

Web site: http://www.fatspaniel.com/