Akeena Solar Inc. (OTC BB: AKNS) recently expanded its service territory to include California's Orange County. The Los Gatos-based company claims it opened a new regional office in Laguna Hills in response to growing demand for solar energy in the area.

A designer and installer of solar power systems, Akeena has already begun installing systems in residences and small businesses out of its new Laguna Hills office. The company's CEO Barry Cinnamon cites rising energy costs and California's economic incentives as the driving forces behind an increase in solar energy investments throughout the state.

The market for photovoltaic systems in Orange County has been experiencing an average 190 percent growth rate since 2003, according to the California Energy Commission. Akeena's market research shows the California Solar Initiative could create over 20,000 jobs in the state.