Flexible Thin-Film Solar Leader SoloPower Opens State-of-the-Art, High-Volume Manufacturing Facility in Portland, Oregon

9/27/2012 2:00 PM EST

SoloPower
Press release

Flexible Thin-Film Solar Leader SoloPower Opens State-of-the-Art, High-Volume
Manufacturing Facility in Portland, Oregon

Portland Mayor Sam Adams, Distinguished Guests Celebrate Milestone in Plan to
Make Rooftop Solar the Primary Energy Source for Commercial and Industrial
Buildings Worldwide 

PORTLAND, Ore., 2012-09-27 20:00 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SoloPower, the San
Jose, California-based leader in high efficiency, lightweight, and flexible
thin-film solar cells and modules, announced today the grand opening in
Portland, Oregon of its high-volume manufacturing (HVM) facility. The event
marked a significant milestone in the company's plan to make solar energy the
primary source of power for commercial and industrial buildings worldwide, and
in its ability to meet demand for its unique solutions. SoloPower was joined at
the ceremony by Portland Mayor Sam Adams who toured the state-of-the-art
manufacturing floor with local and state elected officials, company executives
and customers. 

"Oregon's manufacturers are playing a key role as we add jobs back to Oregon,"
said Governor Kitzhaber. "With the opening today of this high-volume
manufacturing facility, we mark a significant milestone for SoloPower and for
advanced manufacturing in Oregon." 

"Portland congratulates SoloPower on the grand opening of its operations here,
which are ultimately expected to employ 450 people. We have worked proactively
and collaboratively to nurture the success of our local industry of which
SoloPower is a growing part," said Mayor Adams. "Portland benefits when we help
maximize the global competitiveness of local businesses. SoloPower is creating
living-wage jobs in a vital sector of our economy, a sector that is helping to
establish Portland as one of the most sustainable economies in the world." 

SoloPower's lightweight, flexible SoloPanels and proprietary installation
systems revolutionize the rooftop solar integration process, making solar
energy easy and cost effective for nearly any commercial and industrial
building. The company's suite of solar solutions optimizes energy performance
on a variety of roofs in a range of climates with diverse sun exposure
conditions. Non-penetrating installation systems make it simple to remove and
reinstall SoloPower's solutions, enabling installation on older roofs not yet
due for a reroof and substantially expanding the market beyond new and reroof
applications. Due to their very low profile on rooftops, SoloPower's solutions
provide an unparalleled ability to withstand wind, opening additional segments
that could not utilize solar energy in the past, particularly in areas
susceptible to storms, such as Japan. 

"The opening of SoloPower's state-of-the-art HVM facility in Portland increases
our capacity to meet the energy demands of the world's commercial and
industrial buildings, which consume 40% of global electricity," said Tim
Harris, CEO, SoloPower. "Both we and our customers are very excited: It's a
huge market, our unique solutions expand that market, and now we have the
ability to serve our customers who are looking for an easy-to-install,
predictable, and cost-effective solution for their energy needs, no matter
their continent." 

The first company to receive certification of flexible CIGS panels to both UL
and IEC standards, SoloPower is a recognized pioneer in flexible, thin-film
solar. The company now has 55 patents in its expanding intellectual property
portfolio, which includes 45 patents in the United States and 10 patents
internationally, with an additional 69 pending patent applications in the U.S.,
and 76 pending internationally. SoloPower's proprietary approach embodies
critical technology, manufacturing, and cost advantages that enable large-scale
"fab-style" production of high-efficiency CIGS-based photovoltaic cells. The
cells are manufactured and converted into unique, flexible, lightweight solar
modules at SoloPower's San Jose and Portland facilities. 

SoloPower's operations in Portland are ultimately expected to have a capacity
of 400MW. 

For more information, visit www.SoloPower.com.

About SoloPower

Headquartered in San Jose, California, SoloPower Inc. uses innovative,
proprietary roll-to-roll electrodeposition manufacturing technology to produce
low-cost, lightweight and flexible high efficiency copper, indium, gallium and
(di)selenide ("CIGS") based photovoltaic cells. The CIGS cells are then
packaged into unique, flexible, lightweight solar modules. The modules require
less balance-of-system hardware and are easier to install than traditional
solar panels. SoloPower modules are certified to both UL and IEC standards. The
company is opening its manufacturing headquarters and first high-volume
manufacturing lines in Portland, Oregon. Lead investors in the company include
Hudson Clean Energy Partners, Crosslink Capital, Convexa, and Firsthand. For
more information on SoloPower, please visit www.SoloPower.com. 

The SoloPower logo is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=13460 


         John Keaten | 212.784.5701|