United Solar announces establishment of manufacturing facility in Ontario, Canada

AUBURN HILLS, USA & LASALLE, CANADA: United Solar, a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices Inc. (ECD), the global leader in thin-film, flexible, lightweight solar products and systems, announced that it will establish a manufacturing facility in Ontario, Canada, that will be operational by August 2011.

The 7,000 square meter facility, located at 6135 Morton Industrial Parkway in LaSalle, Ontario, is under lease to the company for 10 years, and will result in the hiring of up to 80 people. United Solar will upgrade the existing building and deploy capital equipment with total first year project capital anticipated to be approximately $4 million.

United Solar will manufacture its proprietary thin-film solar laminates in the facility specifically for sale in the Ontario market. The Ontario-made product is an important component in complying with the domestic content requirement of the Ontario Power Authority's feed-in-tariff program. The plant will have an initial annualized capacity of 15 megawatts (equal to providing solar power to 4,000 homes with a carbon offset of more than 5,000 metric tons per year), but will be designed with the ability to quickly ramp to 30 megawatts once higher market demand is established.

"I'm pleased to welcome United Solar and 80 new jobs to Ontario," said Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Economic Development & Trade and MPP for Windsor West. "The fact that United Solar is establishing their first Canadian manufacturing facility in Windsor-Essex, Ontario speaks to our competitive business environment, skilled workforce and green energy plan."

"This is another demonstration that Ontario's clean energy economy continues to grow," said Brad Duguid, Ontario Minister of Energy. "Projects like United Solar's are helping build our clean energy economy, creating good jobs, powering our homes and helping clean up the air we breathe."

Lindsay Boyd, Chairperson of the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corp. (WEEDC) Board said, "A company like United Solar brings a unique element to this emerging cluster in our region and further positions us as the leaders in this sector."

"It's been a rewarding experience to work with the United Solar team and we very much appreciate their professionalism, investment and confidence in the region," added Ron Gaudet, CEO of WEEDC.

Ken Antaya, Mayor of LaSalle, said: "LaSalle is excited that this cutting edge technology has chosen our town to establish a local manufacturing facility that will immediately create 80 new jobs and make a substantial financial commitment in our community. We welcome them with open arms and they can rest assured that the town will do everything in its power to assist them in making their endeavor a success."

"United Solar is proud to be expanding our base of manufacturing to Ontario and to be part of the growth of the Windsor-Essex region," said Mark Morelli, President and Chief Executive Officer of ECD. "We are grateful for the assistance of the Windsor-Essex Economic Development Corporation and the government of the Province of Ontario in our decision to build out this facility. We believe in the potential for solar energy in Ontario and look forward to many years of success in this market."

United Solar has applied for training grants from the Ontario government to assist with the ramp up of the facility. In addition, the company is expecting to receive support under the Ontario Works Program and from the Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit, which are designed to encourage job growth in the province.

United Solar has manufacturing facilities in Auburn Hills and Greenville, Michigan; Tijuana, Mexico and a joint venture manufacturing operation in Tianjin, China.