"SKYShades has long sought to adapt its world-wide membrane roofing structures to the conversion of solar energy into clean electricity," said Barry Maranta, international president of SKYShades. "Our understanding with Konarka has linked us with the world's leader in OPV technology. Both companies are determined to perfect the bonding of Konarka's Power Plastic® to our membranes and quantify the wattage generated for commercial applications."

During the initial testing, representatives from Konarka Technologies, a Lowell, Massachusetts-based innovator in the development and commercialization of Power Plastic®, and executives from Orlando-based SKYShades, set up an umbrella prototype at Lake Highland Preparatory School in downtown Orlando. Per the development agreement, the companies have integrated the Power Plastic® material into a SKYShades tension umbrella. Before the output can be accessed as a usable energy resource, the umbrella's capabilities to withstand nature's elements must be tested - a project undertaken by two of Lake Highland's junior class physics students, Bilal Shaukat and Tyler Dingman.

"It is very important for us to test this material in an outdoor environment with exposure to the elements," said Rick Hess, CEO of Konarka. "The outdoor environment will demonstrate what Power Plastic® - a useable solar energy source - is capable of producing."

Mike Jakubisin, director of the upper school at Lake Highland, is pleased with the opportunity for his students to experience real world science experiments, including energy solutions. Jakubisin commented, "I am confident in these students' ability to collect data for Konarka and SKYShades and provide quantifiable results for the team to analyze."

Students will take daily notations of elemental effects, including waterproofing and how condensation affects the bonding of the Power Plastic®. Throughout the remainder of the school year, new aspects will be added and tested, including solar battery hook-ups and wattage output. Also scheduled to take place will be the first-ever live test of the umbrella's capacity to produce enough energy to potentially charge and run laptop computers, cell phones, iPods or any number of personal devices.

Once testing is complete, Konarka and SKYShades plan to extend this technology to a variety of different tension membrane structures.

Dan Williams, vice president of product and business development for Konarka said, "This technology can bring power just about anywhere people require it. The photovoltaic material is lightweight and flexible, and can be incorporated into a variety of fabrics - something that the traditional, rigid photovoltaic elements can not do."

About SKYShades

Based in Orlando, Fla. and Brisbane, Australia, with franchise partners across Asia, the Middle East and the United States, SKYShades specializes in the design, engineering and installation of high-tech, high quality tension membrane fabric shade structures for a comprehensive range of applications including: hotels/resorts, playgrounds, schools, homes, restaurants, bars, shopping malls, recreation spaces, car dealerships, car washes, gas stations, walkways, theme parks, and specialist architectural purposes. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.skyshades.com.