Confirming compliance with essential standards

Tokyo, October 10, 2012 – Solar Frontier announced today that its gigawatt-scale Kunitomi solar panel production plant received ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications after successfully passing stringent audit processes. ISO 14001 is one of the world's foremost environmental management systems standards. It is designed to provide assurance to company management and employees as well as external stakeholders that environmental impact is being measured and improved. ISO 14001 sets standards of stewardship for the environment that also help reduce cost of waste management, save in consumption of energy and materials, and lower distribution costs.

OHSAS 18001 is a British standard for occupational health and safety management systems that is also globally recognized. It helps organizations reduce risks to personnel and put the right health and safety measures in place. The standard also helps companies find ways to improve and maintain occupational health and safety systems.

These ISO and OHSAS standards are routinely required in numerous applications and projects involving solar energy, and by attaining these certifications Solar Frontier's modules qualify to be included in such applications and projects. Both certifications are compulsory for projects in Italy to be eligible for the country's feed-in tariff, in accordance with Italy's 4th and 5th Conto Energia. Other countries such as the UK, France and Mexico are considering similar requirements.

ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 are also an essential part of Solar Frontier's commitment to ensuring minimum impact on the environment and maximum safety of its employees.

"ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications are part of our constant commitment to quality, the environment, and occupational health and safety," said Atsuhiko Hirano, Director and Senior Vice President at Solar Frontier. "We are committed to meeting and exceeding the world's standards for solar energy in these areas."

Solar Frontier also meets appropriate standards set by Japan Electrical Safety and Environment Technology (JET), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), and the EU Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. Certifications for salt and ammonia resistance performed by TUV Rheinland confirm Solar Frontier modules' suitability for installation in coastal and agricultural areas.

These challenging certifications along with extensive in-house testing help to assure customers that Solar Frontier's made-in-Japan solar modules deliver high performance over the lifetime of projects.

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.