Envision Solar and Horizon Energy Group Announce the First Major Project under their Teaming Agreement

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the recent announcement of a strategic Teaming Agreement, Envision Solar International, Inc. (EVSI), and Horizon Energy Group, announced that they had executed a Memorandum of Understanding, dated November 20, 2012, and the commencement of design work on a Solar Forest in North Carolina. The Solar Forest will be comprised of approximately 2300 Solar Tree® structures and will generate approximately 35 megawatts of clean renewable Solar energy when completed scheduled in 2014.

The Memorandum of Understanding is an exclusive agreement in place between Horizon Energy Group, an undisclosed property owner in North Carolina and Envision Solar. Under the terms of the agreement Horizon Energy Group will be the Solar Forest developer and financier, the property owner will be the host and Envision Solar will be the exclusive provider of solar design, fabrication and delivery of its proprietary and patented Solar Tree® structures. Installation of the Solar Tree® structures is expected to commence in the 2^nd quarter of 2013 and be completed by the end of 2014.

"This is a massive and exciting deployment of our products," said Desmond Wheatley, CEO of Envision Solar. "We are thrilled to be working with Horizon on this installation which is ideally suited to our highly engineered Solar Trees. Now we really get to see the value of bringing a modularized and scalable product to market. Our Drag and Drop capabilities make it possible for us to deliver the very high quality that Horizon demands in a highly efficient and scalable manner keeping costs in check but never at the expense of quality. This will be by far our biggest deployment to date and we are ready for it."

Envision Solar and Horizon will work with Green Energy Corp and McKim Creed Green, who, together will comprise the lead development and delivery team for the project.

"We are delighted to be leading this project with a great team," said Steve Pullins, CEO of Horizon Energy Group. "North Carolina has proven to be a prudent renewables development state where the people, utilities, and policy-makers are aligned to reduce dependence on finite energy resources. This installation will be a great benefit to all stakeholders. The skills of our team are unique in the industry, and we believe that this Solar Forest, as the anchor of our microgrid plan, will be the model for future installations. We are creating a sustainable and reliable renewable energy generation plant which will serve the region for decades."

Envision's Solar Tree® structures will be assembled locally and installed at the site by local resources contributing to employment in green industries in North Carolina.

About Envision Solar International, Inc.
Envision Solar, www.envisionsolar.com, designs, manufactures and deploys unique, proprietary and architecturally accretive renewable energy systems with a Drag & Drop Infrastructure™ product line. The company's flagship products include the patented Solar Tree^® array and Solar Tree^® Socket™ solar shaded parking solutions with EnvisionTrak™, a proprietary and patent pending solar tracking machine, and SunCharge™ Column Integrated Electric Vehicle Charging Stations.

Based in San Diego the company integrates only the highest quality components into its Made in America products ensuring long and trouble free service and timeless beautification of the parking lots they serve. This unique approach to the industry allows the company's commercial and institutional customers to take full advantage of the value creation associated with transforming parking lots into beautiful, shaded, renewable energy generation plants shrouded in the "Green Halo."  Envision Solar is listed on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol [EVSI]. For more information on Envision Solar, visit www.envisionsolar.com or call (866) 746-0514.

About Horizon Energy Group
Horizon Energy Group (www.horizonenergygroup.com) is one of the few leaders in microgrid design and implementation.  Our advanced design for optimizing microgrid operations for economic, reliability, and emissions objectives is recognized in the industry as the way of the future.

Based in Tennessee, the company has been recognized as a Company to Watch in Perfect Power by Bob Galvin and Kurt Yeager, and Top 100 Movers and Shakers in the Smart Grid Movement by GreenTech Media.  Horizon is the leading designer of utility and campus microgrids with thirteen projects to date, and one of the leading developers in the US, currently building its forth microgrid. For more information, visit www.horizonenergygroup.com or email at info@horizonenergygroup.com.

This Press Release may contain forward-looking statements regarding future events or our expected future results that are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties.  All statements in this Report other than statements of historical facts are forward looking statements.  Forward looking statements are generally accompanied by terms or phrases such as "estimate," "project," "predict," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "target," "plan," "intend," "seek," "goal," "will," "should," "may," or other words and similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or results.  Statements contemplating or making assumptions regarding actual or potential sales, market size and demand, prospective business contracts, customer orders, trends or operating results also constitute forward looking statements.  Our actual results may differ substantially from those indicated in forward looking statements because our business is subject to significant economic, competitive, regulatory, business and industry risks which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control.  Our operating results, financial condition and business performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the economy, unavailability of capital or financing for our prospective customers to purchase products and services from us, competition, changes in regulations, a decline in the demand for solar energy, a lack of profitability, a decline in our stock price, and other risks.  We may not have adequate capital, financing or cash flow to sustain our business or implement our business plans.  Current results and trends are not necessarily indicative of future results that we may achieve.

SOURCE Envision Solar International, Inc.