MEMC and Flextronics to produce solar panels for SunEdison in Ontario

TORONTO, CANADA & SINGAPORE: SunEdison, a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc., announced that its affiliate, MEMC Singapore, is partnering with Flextronics (Nasdaq: FLEX), a multi-billion dollar electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider, to produce solar photovoltaic (PV) panels at Flextronics' facility in Newmarket, Ontario. Located in York Region, production of the solar panels is expected to result in more than 100 new jobs for the province.

Scheduled to begin production during the second quarter of 2011, Flextronics will produce MEMC branded solar panels that will be used by SunEdison for its solar PV projects. This will enable SunEdison and its project partners to exceed the 60 percent domestic content requirement of Ontario's Feed-in Tariff Program (FIT) while supporting SunEdison's anticipated growth in the region.

"This initiative not only satisfies the domestic content requirement for SunEdison, but also signals a significant long-term investment in the Ontario solar market," said Carlos Domenech, President of SunEdison. "We see tremendous opportunity in supplying high-quality panels to accommodate the large volume of projects in the area."

"Flextronics has some of the most advanced clean tech manufacturing capabilities in the industry, enabling the competitiveness of our customers both globally and also in local markets such as Ontario," said E.C. Sykes, president of Flextronics Industrial. "We are pleased to strengthen our relationship with MEMC. They are a trusted partner and together we look forward to bringing new jobs to the community."

"Growing Newmarket's economy with clean and green technologies is a priority of the Town Council and a focus of our economic development strategy," said Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen. "The establishment of a green industry leader such as SunEdison in Newmarket aligns perfectly with the town's commitment to the environment, our focus on advanced manufacturing and creating more homegrown jobs."

"We are partnering with Flextronics, the Town of Newmarket and the Region of York because of their clear dedication to sustainability," said Jason Gray, Vice President and Country Manager, SunEdison. "We are committed to creating green jobs and building a green economy for Ontario. This initiative will provide an initial 50 megawatts of annual panel capacity that will have the potential to scale to 200 megawatts over time, and therefore, the potential to add even more green jobs for the province."

This announcement follows SunEdison's previously announced plans to produce solar racking equipment with Samco Solar, a division of Samco Machinery Ltd. based in Scarborough, Ontario.