Solaicx Wins Progressive Manufacturing 100 Award

Solar Ingot Manufacturer Honored Second Time for Innovative Manufacturing
Process

SANTA CLARA, Calif. and PORTLAND, Ore., March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Solaicx, a
leading manufacturer of monocrystalline silicon ingots and wafers optimized
for solar applications, was recently awarded the Progressive Manufacturing 100
Award (PM100). This is the second year in a row that Managing Automation has
honored Solaicx for its progressive core business, the management of its
operations and the optimization of its advanced manufacturing technologies.

"This second PM100 award reaffirms Solaicx as one of the few ingot
manufacturers in the world with a production process so unique it's making
solar electricity more cost competitive," said Bob Ford, president and CEO of
Solaicx. "Our commercial photovoltaic production facility in Portland proves
our ability to increase throughput and ingot quality simultaneously, while
remaining scalable and flexible enough to meet the shifting demands of the
solar market."

Solaicx was honored in the Innovation Mastery category, defined by Managing
Automation as being critical to the success of any manufacturer. The magazine
recognized the company's highly innovative manufacturing process as proven and
progressive; based on the process' technology and its impact to the company's
business and the business of its customers. The highly automated rapidly
reconfigurable Solaicx ingot growers are designed to accommodate a range of
customer specifications, operate continuously for increased throughput and
consistently achieve more than five times the output of conventional
manufacturing processes.

"In the face of one of the worst economic downturns in history, these winning
companies dramatically underscore how the manufacturing industry will not only
get through this period but emerge in an even stronger position once a
recovery takes hold," said David R. Brousell, Editor-in-Chief of Managing
Automation Media. "The projects that enabled these companies to become PM100
winners reflect great creativity and inventiveness, a determined willingness
to take risk, and an enduring resilience to continually improve every aspect
of their business. These companies are leading the way to a better future for
all industry."

About Solaicx
Solaicx manufactures low-cost, high-quality silicon ingots and wafers using
proprietary equipment optimized for the solar industry. Solaicx is "making
solar electricity cost effective"(R) by reducing the manufacturing cost of
crystalline photovoltaics, which comprise over 80% of all solar cells on the
market today. The Solaicx process provides significant competitive advantages
in terms of cost, quality, and silicon utilization. Solaicx is headquartered
in Santa Clara, Calif. with a large-scale production facility in Portland,
Ore. For more information, visit www.solaicx.com

About Managing Automation Media
Managing Automation Media, a division of Thomas Publishing Company, LLC,
provides a complete set of decision-support informational tools for executives
and technology decision-makers at progressive manufacturers -- companies that
are using information and automation technologies to transform their
businesses and create a sustainable competitive advantage. In North America
with Managing Automation, and now also in EMEA with Manufacturing Executive,
they deliver access to the most influential decision-makers in manufacturing.
Additional information can be found at managingautomationmedia.com.

For more information:

Lisa Ann Pinkerton
lisa@antennagroup.com
415-977-1916

SOURCE Solaicx

Lisa Ann Pinkerton, +1-415-977-1916, lisa@antennagroup.com, for Solaicx