DOE/NREL Thin Film Photovoltaic Partnership Manager Joins PrimeStar Solar (Dec 1, 2006)

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DOE/NREL Thin Film Photovoltaic Partnership Manager
Joins PrimeStar Solar

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December 1, 2006

Longmont, CO, USA: DOE/NREL Thin Film Photovoltaic Partnership Manager Joins PrimeStar Solar

PrimeStar Solar, Inc. announced today that Ken Zweibel, a respected thin film PV R&D program manager from the Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Solar Program joined the company December 1, 2006 as President and Chairman.

"Mr. Zweibel has been instrumental in advancing thin film PV during his 27 years at NREL. He has worked tirelessly to foster collaboration between government labs and industry to develop PV as a cost-competitive solution to the world's growing energy needs," said Dr. Brian Murphy, CEO of PrimeStar. "We are very excited to have attracted a solar industry leader of his caliber and experience."

PrimeStar Solar, Inc. is building CdTe module pilot production. The Company has secured seed capital in excess of $6M from individuals and a global investment bank. It has an option to license NREL's world-record efficiency CdTe cell technology and is finalizing a cooperative research agreement with NREL to support the transition of this technology to commercial production.

Zweibel led the Thin Film PV Partnership, which is widely considered the catalyst in developing multiple thin film PV technologies and allowing the U.S. to attain world leadership in this area.

Mr. Zweibel is an international authority on thin film solar, is widely published (including two books), and is a popular speaker on solar policy issues. He has an understanding of cost and performance drivers in thin film modules, and of issues of module design for lowest cost systems. He has relationships with DOE, NREL, and within the solar community.

Mr. Zweibel states: "The unique combination of PrimeStar's equipment design and thin film manufacturing skills, a license for NREL's world-record CdTe cell technology (at 16.5% efficiency), and CdTe's proven manufacturability and low cost, provide PrimeStar a rare, low-risk opportunity for rapidly developing lowest-cost solar modules and then scaling them to high volume."