October 21, 2009

San Francisco, CA, USA: Suntech Power Launches Reliathon™ Platform for Utility Market

Suntech Power today announced Reliathon™, an integrated solar platform combining product and business-term innovations to lower costs and accelerate the path to grid parity with the development of utility-scale solar plants. Reliathon reduces total system costs as much as 10% and offers increases in revenue potential, with 13.8% more power warranted over the lifetime of the system.

Replacing what Suntech describes as the industry’s current ‘patchwork’ approach to designing large-scale systems, Reliathon combines Suntech module innovations, a new utility-grade warranty for the Suntech module, as well as pre-agreed preferential pricing and business terms with industry-leading inverter and tracking companies Advanced Energy, Array Technologies, Satcon, Siemens Industry and SMA.

Developed with specific customer feedback gathered from dozens of utility industry experts, Suntech developed Reliathon to combine product and business term innovations including:

The new Suntech Reliathon 270-watt module includes self-aligning panels, integrated grounding, and wire management, as well as a new “Two-in-One” design, with two 36-cell regions featuring independent circuits that can create better output on fixed tilt systems in early morning and late afternoon. All module innovations result in far less labor time needed to install Reliathon systems as well as significant reductions in material costs.

Array Technologies’ DuraTrack™ system was designed specifically for Suntech Reliathon, and makes use of two motors per MW AC versus the typical four motors per MW, further reducing the material costs of the system. o The new Suntech Reliathon ground mount system perfectly matches Reliathon modules to deliver fixed tilt solutions at lower cost and greater profitability.

Utility-grade Reliathon module warranty: The Reliathon module includes a 25-year utility-grade warranty offering an industry-leading 12-year limited product warranty (extended from 5 years) and a 25-year peak power performance warranty now based on annual degradation instead of 12 and 25-year step-downs. The new annual peak power performance warranty provides Reliathon module buyers with 13.8% more warranted power over 25 years. Overall, the new terms warrant an industry-leading 85% power output level at 25 years.

Preferential pricing from industry-leading partners: Power plant customers purchasing a Reliathon system will have access to customized Reliathon partner products at preferred pricing and pre-negotiated business terms offered by Advanced Energy, Array Technologies, Satcon, Siemens Industry and SMA, providing greater value over whole system purchase.

“To make the promising utility scale pipeline a reality, innovation and simplicity have to be driven into every level of the solar value chain - especially installation, an area that offers huge opportunities for reduction of Balance of Plant costs,” said Steven Chan, Chief Strategy Officer, Suntech. “Reliathon gives our customers exactly what they have requested: greater power output at lower cost, combined with a simplified development process.”

With Reliathon, Engineering, Procurement and Construction companies, utilities and project developers have a straightforward path for vendor selection as they design their large-scale systems. Customers can select a variety of Reliathon components from the selected Suntech partners, each offering particular advantages for specific installation types, as they plan their power plants.

“Suntech has listened to the utility market and come through with innovations that simply make sense,” said Frank Greb, Vice President and General Manager of leading solar engineering and construction firm RMT, Inc. “Reliathon makes it more cost effective, not to mention easier, to get utility-scale projects up and running.”

Further details about: Suntech Power