Solar Frontier Supplies 10MW Project in Japan

Mt. Komekura Plant Among Largest In Japan

Tokyo, February 20, 2012 – Solar Frontier announced today that its president, Shigeaki Kameda, attended a ceremony on January 27 to activate the Mt. Komekura Solar Power Plant in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Solar Frontier supplied 10MW of CIS thin-film solar modules to the power plant through Meidensha Corporation. The facility, operated jointly by Yamanashi Prefecture and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), started operations on January 27 and is among the largest solar power plants in Japan.


The Mt. Komekura Solar Power Plant is being built as part of Yamanashi Prefecture's Global Warming Countermeasures Plan for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The plant is expected to generate about 12 million kWh of electricity annually, equal to the annual electricity use of approximately 3,400 households. Producing this amount of electricity will reduce annual CO2 emissions by approximately 5,100 tons, which is equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions of 1,000 households. Electricity generation data for the plant, updated every 5 minutes, is available on TEPCO's website in Japanese (http://www.tepco.co.jp/csr/renewable/megasolar/).

Solar Frontier's CIS thin-film solar modules have achieved a higher conversion efficiency rate than many other thin-film modules, and they are able to deliver higher overall energy output (kWh) under real weather conditions. In Japan, the outstanding performance of CIS thin-film solar modules has been demonstrated at the Yukigunigata Megasolar power plant in Niigata Prefecture, and at large-scale solar power production facilities at Solar Frontier's Miyazaki production plants. As Solar Frontier proves the superior performance of its CIS modules, the panels are being adopted in more utility-scale solar power plants in Japan and around the world.

Solar Frontier started operation of all production lines at its gigawatt-scale Kunitomi Plant last year, becoming one of the world's largest solar module factories. With its large-scale production enterprise, the company will be able to supply increasing demand for solar power in Japan as a result of the enactment of Feed-in-Tariffs in July this year while continuing to supply customers around the world.

About Solar Frontier

Solar Frontier K.K., a 100% subsidiary of Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. (TYO:5002) ("Solar Frontier"), has a mission to create the most economical, ecological solar energy solutions on Earth. Building on a legacy of work in solar energy since the 1970s, Solar Frontier today develops and manufactures CIS (denoting copper, indium, selenium) thin-film solar modules for customers in all sectors around the world. Solar Frontier's gigawatt-scale production facilities in Miyazaki, Japan, integrate compelling economical and ecological advantages into every module: from lower energy requirements in manufacturing to the higher overall output (kWh) of CIS in real operating conditions. Solar Frontier is headquartered in Tokyo, with offices in Europe, the U.S.A., and the Middle East. Visit www.solar-frontier.com for more information.

Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K.

Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and has roots dating back more than 100 years in the downstream energy business.

Featured Product

S-5!® PVKIT™ 2.0 Solar Rooftop Solutions

S-5!® PVKIT™ 2.0 Solar Rooftop Solutions

The concept of combining PV arrays with standing seam metal roofing is growing-for good reasons. Metal roofs have a life expectancy of more than 40 years. Shouldn't the mounting system last as long? With S-5! zero-penetration attachment technology and PVKIT 2.0, the solarized metal roof is the most sustainable system available -and without compromising roof warranties! PVKIT 2.0 is the also the best solution for attaching PV modules directly to any exposed fastener metal roof.