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Asheville has added a thermal solar system manufacturer to its list of hot technology companies as Whitestar Energy cut the ribbon Tuesday on its facility just off Tunnel Road. North Carolina Assembly Member John Ager and Asheville City Council Members Gwen Wisler and Chris Pelly joined a crowd of more than fifty solar technology fans as they showed off the W11-C, a first-of-its-kind solar hot water production system.

Whitestar Energy's solar concentration system heats water directly from the power of the sun. Instead of using traditional photovoltaic solar panels, the W11-C uses solar concentrators for a highly efficient and cost-effective way of generating quantities of hot water large enough for commercial applications such as breweries, hotels, medical facilities, food processing facilities, restaurants, schools or laundries.

"Our atmosphere isn't very big," company president Randy While said, comparing the Earth to a beach ball with the atmosphere being just the thickness of the vinyl on the ball. "We're putting a large amount of carbon dioxide into the air and we need to slow that down."

White went on to discuss the trips he made to Arizona during the round of testing that led to the product's certification by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC). Having the SRCC's approval allows buyers of the system to apply for renewable energy tax credits that help the system pay for itself in a relatively short time frame.

"This is what we need," said Rep. Ager, who promised to continue working in Raleigh to renew the state solar tax credit. City Council Members Wisler and Pelly echoed that sentiment and were particularly interested in the job creation that will occur with the continued growth of this company.

Whitestar Energy's system is manufactured in Asheville from locally sourced parts and is flexible enough to be scaled in size from small commercial applications to larger sized industrial usage. Featuring a fully autonomous tracking system that keeps the concentrators focused on the sun as it moves across the sky, the system maximizes available daylight.

Whitestar Energy is ready to install these systems in the lower 48 United States and its customers will be able to generate the hot water they need at a low cost, apply for state and federal tax-credits, gain positive publicity and help move the solar technology sector forwards.