BURNABY, BC, June 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Day4 Energy Inc. (TSX: DFE), a leading supplier of high performance, cost-effective solar electric solutions, today announced that Gebaude-Solarsysteme GmbH (GSS) of Thuringia, Germany, is the second PV company to join Day4's proprietary manufacturing platform. GSS is the oldest and a highly respected PV company in Germany, and is focused on development and sales of roof-integrated PV solutions and other building integrated PV (BIPV) products. The company has a particularly strong market presence in France and Belgium where roof integrated PV systems are strongly supported by the local subsidy programs. This announcement is made today in conjunction with Day4 Energy's participation this week in the French market solar conference, Salon des Energies Renouvelables in Paris.
"This deal is an excellent opportunity to introduce and extend the reach of our Day4 branded products into a new vertical market. As we are approaching grid parity in many markets, integration of PV technologies with construction materials will become increasingly important and the overall BIPV market place is likely to grow rapidly. At the same time France and particularly the French roof-integrated market is rapidly becoming an important market within central Europe," said George Rubin, President of Day4. "Embedding Day4 technology into new product development for GSS clients such as roofing materials for construction companies and automotive applications allows us to leverage the presence that GSS has cultivated in these market segments over the years."
"During our many years of experience in the PV sector we have spent a considerable amount of time looking at possible new module / cell technologies that can take our product development process to the next level. Now we are very excited to combine our product expertise as well as to extend our previous technology and product portfolio, with the unique and established Day4 technology, into the Day4 platform," said Mr. Hohne, Director of GSS.
This is the second license agreement signed by Day4 since the introduction of this business segment in May. At current market prices and full capacity utilization the 15MW line is expected to provide over 700,000 Euros per year in royalty revenue to Day4.
About Day4's Manufacturing Technology Solution: -----------------------------------------------
On April 26, 2010 Day4 announced that it had entered an agreement in principle to acquire ACI ecotec GmbH &Co. KG ("ACI"), a privately owned specialized photovoltaic (PV) equipment design and manufacturing company based in Germany. The combination of the Day4 proprietary and patented technology and ACI's specialized know-how and equipment allows Day4 to immediately launch the offering of its highly anticipated turn-key manufacturing technology solution for production of PV cells and PV modules based on proprietary technologies developed by Day4. ACI's existing customer relationships, execution capabilities and solid market reputation provide Day4 with a unique opportunity to rapidly roll out its manufacturing technology offering across a wide cross section of PV manufacturers in a number of key markets. At the same time ACI's manufacturing process and equipment engineering capabilities will add significant depth to Day4's R&D team and allow the company to significantly accelerate the development of the next generations of PV technology.
Based on the patented Day4 Electrode and Guardian technologies, Day4's manufacturing solution offers PV cell and module producers an opportunity to reduce their investment and production costs while achieving sustainable differentiation in highly competitive solar markets by producing one of the industry's highest performing products that customers around the world have grown to associate with the highest levels of reliability, energy production and investment return.
With technological differentiation rapidly emerging as a critical area for most PV manufacturers, Day4's offering of a turn-key package of manufacturing technology, proprietary equipment, process, product design and technology license is a natural evolution of the company's business.
By offering a turn-key Day4 PV cell and PV module manufacturing solution to the PV industry Day4 is looking to significantly expand the market share of products based on Day4's proprietary technology in existing as well as new and emerging markets around the world. Furthermore, Day4 manufacturing solutions sales are expected to significantly alter the company's revenue model as manufacturing line integration services and technology royalty streams associated with the new product offering become an increasingly large component of the company's revenue mix over time.
About Day4:
Day4 Energy Inc. is a Canadian company dedicated to providing high performance photovoltaic (PV) solutions for residential, commercial and utility scale installations. By fundamentally improving on the design and assembly of solar cells and modules, the Company produces unique PV panels of high power density, increased lifetime and uncompromised aesthetic appearance. Day4 partners with international technology leaders to develop and deliver IEC- and UL-certified solar products to customers around the world. Day4 is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "DFE". For more information, please visit http://www.day4energy.com/.
About ACI-ecoTec GmbH & Co. KG:
ACI-ecotec GmbH & Co. KG located in South Germany, was founded in 1980 and develops, builds, and integrates state-of-the-art production automation and process equipment for the Photovoltaic industry. This includes precision robotic work-cells and turn-key production lines for assembly, micro-assembly, measurement and testing, for the production of Photovoltaic Wafers Cells and Modules. Products include the ecoSol(R) for the production of Solar Modules; the ecoContact(TM) for contacting of Thin Film Modules and Cells; the ecoSplit(TM) for raw wet wafer separation, and a leading market-share process carrier for solar wafers and cells, the ecoCarrier(TM). http://www.aci-ecotec.com/
About GSS:
Gebaude-Solarsysteme GmbH (GSS) was established in 1992 and has broad experience with all current solar technologies. The company has participated in many innovative projects and has won numerous awards for architectural and engineering excellence. GSS has become known world-wide, especially for its BIPV-Products. These products are integrated in USA (New York), Canada and several European countries.
Forward Looking Statements:
This news release contains forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. A number of factors could cause actual events, performance or results to differ materially from the events, performance and results discussed in the forward-looking statements including but not limited to the fact that the conditions precedent to the completion of the proposed acquisition may not be successfully met and the acquisition may not be completed. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.
Day4 Energy Inc.
CONTACT: Therese Hayes, Head, Corporate Development, Day4 Energy Inc.,
(604) 345-6771, thayes@day4energy.com; Justin Lacey, Media Contact, Day4
Energy Inc., (604) 297-0444, media@day4energy.com
