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Hoku Solar Selected to Go Green at Xcel's North Shore Headquarters

The Xcel Building, owned by Ed D'Ascoli, founder and president of Xcel International, Inc. (Xcel), has selected Hoku Solar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hoku Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOKU) that designs, engineers and installs turnkey photovoltaic (PV) power systems, to install a PV power system on the Xcel Building.

Located in the historic town of Haleiwa on the North Shore of Oahu (Hawaii), the Xcel Building is Xcel's headquarters and manufacturing facility. Hoku Solar plans to install a 34-kilowatt PV system, expected to generate more than 53,500 kilowatt hours of clean, renewable solar electricity each year and will contribute directly to Xcel's ongoing corporate sustainability initiative.

Once installed, Xcel's PV system is expected to produce enough electricity over its lifetime to power the equivalent of 151 homes for one year, and offset more than 885 tons of carbon dioxide emissions -- the equivalent of removing more than 57 cars from Hawaii's roadways.

"Hoku is pleased to partner with Ed D'Ascoli and the Xcel Building on this exciting project," said Dustin Shindo, chief executive officer of Hoku Scientific. "Commercial scale PV systems make proven business sense in Hawaii, and we are proud to have been selected to help integrate clean, sustainable power into Xcel's operations."

"Xcel is focused on finding meaningful ways to reduce our environmental footprint that make good business sense," said Ed D'Ascoli, founder and president of Xcel. "Our company was built on a passion for the ocean, so we are mission-compelled to do everything we can -- as a company and as individuals -- to implement sustainable strategies into our core business. And, like Xcel, Hoku is a global company with deep local roots committed to our community and environment. We saw a natural fit between our companies."

About Hoku Scientific, Inc.

Hoku Scientific (NASDAQ: HOKU) is a diversified clean energy technologies company with three business units: Hoku Materials, Hoku Solar and Hoku Fuel Cells. Hoku Materials plans to manufacture, market, and sell polysilicon for the solar market from its plant currently under construction in Pocatello, Idaho. Hoku Solar markets, sells, and installs turnkey photovoltaic systems in Hawaii. Hoku Fuel Cells has developed proprietary fuel cell membranes and membrane electrode assemblies for stationary and automotive proton exchange membrane fuel cells. For more information visit www.hokuscientific.com.

About Xcel

Founded in 1982, Xcel International, Inc. (Xcel) is a global wetsuit brand distributed throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Rim. Headquartered on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, Xcel's core wetsuit business focuses on the cutting edge of material and design development. Xcel's primary markets include surf, dive, wakeboard, paddle, and sun (UV protection).

Xcel was acquired in 2007 by Billabong International Limited (ASX: BBG) and, in addition to its North Shore office, operates retail stores on Oahu and Maui; and a warehouse/repair facility in California. The Xcel Building, owned by Xcel founder and president Ed D'Ascoli, was built in 1990 to house Xcel's headquarters and domestic manufacturing operations. To learn more about Xcel, please visit www.xcelwetsuits.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve many risks and uncertainties. These statements relate to Hoku's ability to successfully complete the photovoltaic (PV) installation for Xcel International; the expected performance and durability of Hoku's PV system; Hoku's future financial performance; Hoku's business strategy and plans; and objectives of management for future operations. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "can," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would" and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Hoku's actual results, performance, time frames or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, time frames or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Given these risks, uncertainties and other factors, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. In evaluating these statements, you should specifically consider the risks described in Hoku's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Hoku assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.