Real Goods Solar Appoints Kam Mofid Chief Executive Officer

Real Goods Solar Appoints Kam Mofid Chief Executive Officer

BOULDER, Colo., July 30, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Real Goods Solar Inc.
(Nasdaq:RSOL) the oldest and one of the largest solar energy companies in the
country, announced that Kam Mofid has joined the Company as CEO. The Company's
previous CEO Bill Yearsley has decided to leave the organization to pursue
other interests. He will be assisting in the transition.

Mofid brings to Real Goods a wealth of knowledge and experience in the solar
industry. Most recently Mofid was General Manager of Global Residential and
Light Commercial Systems at SunEdison. Prior to this role, he was President of
Mainstream Energy, the parent company of REC Solar and AEE Solar where under
his leadership the company achieved substantial growth and improvements. Prior
to his entry into the solar sector, Mofid served as President of Teleflex
Power Systems, and at Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Company, as
Director of Materials and Logistics. In the earlier part of his career, Mofid
held engineering and operations management positions at General Motors. Mofid
holds M.Sc. degree from Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Industrial
& Systems Engineering.

"Everyone on the Board is very pleased to have Kam join us and lead the charge
to continue to make Real Goods Solar a premier brand and a world-class player
in the industry," said Jirka Rysavy, Chairman of Real Goods Solar. "We would
also like to thank Bill Yearsley for his contributions and we wish him success
in the future."

"We are in a very exciting and pivotal period in the solar sector marked by
great growth opportunities as well as challenges that require transformational
strategies and efforts to achieve scale and profitably," commented Mofid.
"Real Goods Solar has been a pioneer in solar since 1978; I am honored to join
this team of dedicated solar professionals and to lead the company in its
journey to become the industry benchmark for excellence and superior customer
experience."

About Real Goods Solar, Inc.

Real Goods Solar, Inc. is a leading residential and commercial solar energy
EPC provider, having installed over 13,000 solar systems. Real Goods Solar
offers turnkey solar energy services and has 34 years of experience in solar
energy, beginning with the sale in 1978 of the first solar photovoltaic, or
PV, panels in the United States. With 15 offices in California, Colorado and
the Northeast, Real Goods Solar is one of the largest residential and
commercial solar providers in the country. For more information about Real
Goods Solar, please visit RealGoodsSolar.com, or call (888) 507-2561.

The Real Goods Solar, Inc. logo is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6455

CONTACT: John Coletta
         Chief Financial Officer
         Real Goods Solar, Inc.
         Tel (303) 222-8310
         john.coletta@realgoods.com
        
         Investor Relations:
         Ron Both
         Liolios Group, Inc.
         Tel (949) 574-3860
         RSOL@liolios.com

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