Dr. Armstrong has been on the forefront in the development of lightweight, flexible photovoltaics for terrestrial, aeronautics, near-space, and space applications

May 29, 2012

DENVER--Joseph Armstrong, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer of Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTI), has joined the Strategic Advisory Council of Bye Aerospace, Inc. Ascent Solar is a developer of flexible CIGS solar panels and Bye Aerospace is applying clean energy solutions to innovative aircraft designs for the business aviation and defense markets.

Armstrong has spent the majority of his 30+ year career in photovoltaics (PV), including with Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin) and ITN Energy Systems before becoming a founding member of the ASTI team in 2005. Dr. Armstrong has been on the forefront in the development of lightweight, flexible photovoltaics for terrestrial, aeronautics, near-space, and space applications. He is a named inventor on five U.S. patents in areas including shape memory alloys, fuel cells, electronic circuit assembly, and thin-film PV technology, and on numerous pending patent applications. Armstrong has a bachelor's degree from Lewis University in Illinois and received his masters and doctorate degrees in Physics from the University of Denver, Colorado. Dr. Armstrong previously served as a member of the Advisory Board for the State of Colorado Center for Revolutionary Solar Photoconversion and was the Chair of the Steering Committee, as well as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Colorado Advanced Materials Institute.

"I am honored to be invited to join the Strategic Advisory Council at Bye," said Dr. Armstrong. "As business aviation and defense markets envision solar energy as a compliment to traditional power sources, with purposeful integration into systems and structures, numerous performance advantages can be realized. I believe that Ascent Solar and Bye Aerospace are uniquely positioned in these markets."

"It is an absolute honor to welcome Dr. Armstrong to our impressive group of strategic advisors," said George Bye, Chairman and CEO of Bye Aerospace. "Clean energy provided by thin-film PV technology is critical to the performance of several of Bye Aerospace's internal programs, including the solar-electric hybrid Silent Guardian unmanned aerial vehicle and the StarLight™ solar-electric powered airship."

ABOUT ASCENT SOLAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. is a developer of thin-film photovoltaic modules using flexible substrate materials that can transform the way solar power generation integrates into everyday life. Ascent Solar modules, which were named one of TIME Magazine's 50 best inventions for 2011, can be directly incorporated into standard building materials, commercial transportation, automotive solutions, space applications, consumer electronics for portable power and durable off-grid solutions.

ABOUT BYE AEROSPACE

Bye Aerospace, founded in 2007 and headquartered near Denver, is applying clean energy solutions to innovative aircraft designs for the business aviation and defense markets. For more information, go to www.ByeAerospace.com.