SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- SolarReserve, a U.S. developer of utility-scale solar power projects, announced today the appointment of Mary Grikas as Vice President of Communications. Ms. Grikas brings to her new role a wealth of experience within a variety of fields including telecommunications, semiconductors, electrical systems, and the solar power industry. Most recently, Grikas served as Vice President of Marketing and Communications with East Coast-based Petra Solar where she was responsible for the direction and strategic alignment of all Petra Solar communications worldwide, including product and marketing strategy. Prior to joining Petra Solar, Grikas was Vice President of Product Management for Vonage, a leading provider of broadband telephone services.  At Vonage, she defined, developed, launched, and lifecycle-managed Vonage's next-generation consumer services including products, features and pricing delivered to mobile, PC and other new internet connected devices. Previously at Vonage, she was the Executive Director of Engineering where she facilitated the design, development and deployment of innovative voice-over internet protocol (VoIP) products and services. Prior to her executive management role with Vonage, Grikas acted as the Director of Global Technical Publications and Training for Globespan, a semiconductor solutions provider for broadband communications.  She also served as a consultant in the area of electrical equipment qualification engineering for the nuclear power industry. Grikas earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire and holds two patents.

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"We are very pleased to have Mary join the SolarReserve senior management team," said Kevin Smith, CEO of SolarReserve. "Her extensive communications and engineering experience across a number of technology industries, including solar, will undoubtedly serve her well as she leads SolarReserve's strategic initiatives for marketing, branding and communications worldwide.  With a number of exciting large-scale solar projects coming online over the next 12 months, including our flagship Crescent Dunes Solar Energy project in Nevada featuring integrated energy storage, SolarReserve is well-positioned for future expansion." 

Ms. Grikas will provide tactical, comprehensive analyses from a marketing and communications standpoint to support and further SolarReserve's activities and projects around the world. SolarReserve currently has 356 MW of solar projects in construction, both concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV), totaling $1.8 billion in capital costs. Once operational, these projects will generate enough electricity to power 150,000 homes.

"When I look at SolarReserve's revolutionary energy storage technology and its proven ability to develop large-scale renewable energy solutions, I see great opportunity in the markets we currently serve as well as exciting potential for expansion into new markets,' said Ms. Grikas. "With the world in the midst of a clean energy revolution, SolarReserve is leading the charge with a solution that finally makes it possible for large-scale power plants, fueled by only the sun, to provide reliable power anytime of the day or night. I am thrilled to join an organization that is so passionate about confronting today's renewable energy challenges with innovative advancements that address the growing global demand for sustainable energy."

The Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Plant, SolarReserve's flagship project, commenced construction in September of 2011, near Tonopah, Nevada.  The 110 MW Crescent Dunes project is the first commercial-scale facility in the world to feature advanced molten salt power tower energy storage capabilities.  SolarReserve's revolutionary technology captures and stores the sun's thermal energy, operating 'on demand' just like conventional coal, natural gas or nuclear power plants and generates clean, reliable power without the release of harmful emissions or hazardous wastes normally associated with conventional power plant technology and without exposing utilities and rate payers to volatile fossil fuel prices.  The project currently has more than 600 workers on-site and is entering the commissioning phase with first electricity generation scheduled in early 2014.

Additionally, SolarReserve currently has three photovoltaic projects, totaling 246 MW of generation capacity, in construction in South Africa.  The Letsatsi and Lesedi power projects, each 75 MW in size, broke ground in February 2013 and are well underway in construction.  The 96 MW Jasper power project recently closed financing and commenced construction shortly thereafter.  All three projects are slated for completion in 2014.

About SolarReserveSolarReserve, LLC – headquartered in Santa Monica, California – is a developer of large-scale solar energy projects with activities worldwide. SolarReserve has commercialized the world's leading solar thermal energy storage technology utilizing molten salt in a power tower configuration. SolarReserve's solar energy storage technology has the capability to deliver clean, reliable electricity at any time, day and night. SolarReserve's experienced team of power project professionals has assembled an extensive 5,000 MW worldwide development portfolio of large-scale solar projects, including some featuring advanced solar thermal technology (CSP) and others utilizing photovoltaic technology.

In addition to its headquarters in the U.S., SolarReserve has offices in Spain, Chile, South Africa, Turkey, the UAE and the UK, with activities underway in the Middle East, Australia, China, and Latin America.

For more information: www.SolarReserve.comU.S. Media Contacts: Mary Grikas, +1.310.315.2274, Mary.Grikas@SolarReserve.comAndi Plocek, SolarReserve, +1.310.315.2233, Andi.Plocek@SolarReserve.com

SOURCE SolarReserve

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