Camarillo, Calif., July 13, 1999 – Siemens Solar Industries today
announced that R&D Magazine has chosen Siemens' ST family of solar modules as one of this year's R&D 100 Award-winning technologies. The solar modules convert energy from sunlight into electricity using
Siemens PowerMax thin-film Copper Indium Diselenide (CIS)-based solar cells and represent a significant step toward delivering cost-effective solar energy.
``Unlike previous thin films, which fail to meet
our performance requirements, the Siemens Solar modules have both the low manufacturing costs of all thin films and the spectacular efficiencies of conventional silicon-wafer based PV [photovoltaics]," said Ken Zweibel,
Manager, Thin Film PV Partnership, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in a letter accompanying the competition entry. ``The long-waited promise of thin films has been achieved. A new era of progress
toward cost-effective PV for energy-significant applications has begun."
``This award confirms our belief that Siemens is well ahead of the competition in its ability to deliver solar as a viable source of
energy," said Robert Gay, director of R&D, leader of Siemens Solar's team of developers. ``NREL tests have shown our efficiencies are more than 50 percent higher than the closest competitor's numbers. We are very
proud of our achievement."
Siemens Solar entered the competition jointly with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, Colo., and the California Energy Commission. The ST product development was
supported in part by NREL as part of the Thin Film Photovoltaic Partnership Program through the US Department of Energy, and by a cooperative agreement with the State of California Energy Commission in support of the US
Department of Energy's Commercialization Ventures Program.
R&D Magazine annually recognizes the 100 most technologically significant new products and processes of the year. The competition
was established in 1963. Winners have included such household names as Polarcolor film (1963), the halogen lamp (1974), the fax machine (1975), the liquid crystal display (1980), the Nicoderm antismoking patch (1992),
the digital compact cassette (1993) and the Power Beat automotive battery (1994). For more information, visit the web site at www.rdmag.com/rd100. The 23rd
Awards banquet will be held at Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry September 23, 1999.
About Siemens Solar
Siemens Solar comprises Siemens Solar GmbH in Munich, a joint venture of Siemens
AG and Bayernwerk AG, Siemens Solar Industries L.P. in Camarillo (Calif.) and two Joint Ventures: Siemens Showa Solar Ltd., Singapore, and Showa Solar Energy KK, Tokyo. Siemens Solar has to date supplied over 150 MW
throughout the world, making it the leading company in the photovoltaics industry. The company's web site is
