MARLBORO, Mass., Oct 16, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Evergreen Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: ESLR), a manufacturer of solar power products with its proprietary, low-cost String Ribbon(TM) wafer technology, today announced that it has entered into a four-year supply contract with Mainstream Energy, LLC, which has systems integration and distribution subsidiaries involved in the sales, distribution and installation of residential and commercial solar electric systems nationwide. Under the terms of the agreement, Evergreen Solar will ship approximately $100 million of photovoltaic modules to Mainstream Energy over the next four years.
"We continue to align ourselves with recognized leaders in the solar industry," said Terry Bailey, Evergreen Solar's Senior VP Marketing and Sales. "Mainstream Energy will play a significant role in our effort to further penetrate the U.S. marketplace. The size of the deal also reflects our confidence in achieving our current expansion plans and is further affirmation of the prospects for our String Ribbon technology."
"Evergreen Solar represents an important strategic partner for us," stated David Katz, President of AEE Solar, a Mainstream Energy subsidiary. "We value their commitment to innovation and long-term vision for the industry. We view them as a solar technology pioneer that is making considerable strides in improving cell efficiencies and more importantly, lowering the overall costs of solar power."
The Mainstream sales agreement is Evergreen Solar's sixth major contract in the past 12 months. The value of these six contracts totals more than $700 million over the next five years. The photovoltaic modules will be manufactured at Evergreen Solar's plant in Massachusetts and at EverQ's German factory, which is currently being expanded. EverQ is a strategic partnership between Evergreen Solar, Q-Cells AG of Germany and Renewable Energy Corporation ASA (REC) of Norway.
About Mainstream Energy, LLC
Mainstream Energy, LLC, invests in and actively supports the growth of downstream companies involved in the manufacture, sales and installation of solar equipment and services. Mainstream Energy strives to make solar a larger part of our national energy supply by investing in companies which are expanding customer access to solar energy and lowering the cost of solar products, systems and services.
About AEE Solar, Inc.
AEE Solar, Inc. (www.aeesolar.com), a Mainstream Energy subsidiary, is one of America's oldest and most respected wholesale distributors of renewable energy systems and equipment. Headquartered in Northern California with warehouses and sales offices in the Pacific Northwest, Northeast and Southern California, AEE Solar is a full-service distributor offering a comprehensive range of solar and renewable energy products and services to support the growth of solar contractors, dealers and installers nationwide.
About Evergreen Solar, Inc.
Evergreen Solar, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets solar power products using proprietary, low-cost manufacturing technologies. The Company's patented crystalline silicon technology, known as String Ribbon, uses significantly less silicon than conventional approaches. Evergreen's products provide reliable and environmentally clean electric power for residential and commercial applications globally. For more information about the Company, please visit www.evergreensolar.com.
Evergreen Solar(R) is a registered trademark and String Ribbon(TM) is a trademark of Evergreen Solar, Inc.
A Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. The Company cautions you that any statements contained in this press release which are not strictly historical statements constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those related to the Company's expectations regarding the anticipated benefits of the Mainstream Energy relationship; the anticipated size, value and timing of shipments to Mainstream Energy; the Company's effort to grow within the U.S. market; and EverQ's ability to increase its capacity through new facilities. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the following factors: the Company's business and results of operations could be materially impaired as a result of poor manufacturing or product performance or higher costs attributable to the expansion or operation of manufacturing facilities; the market for solar power products is emerging and rapidly developing, and market demand for solar power products such as the Company's products is uncertain; the Company has limited experience manufacturing large volumes of solar power products on a commercial basis at acceptable costs, which it will need to do in order to be successful; the Company faces intense competition from other companies producing solar power and other distributed energy generation products; the risk that the Company may fail to bring to market new products under development or that any such products may not achieve commercial acceptance; the risk that technological changes in the solar industry could render its solar products uncompetitive or obsolete; the Company sells via a small number of reseller partners, and the Company's relationships with current or prospective marketing or strategic partners may be affected by adverse developments in the Company's business, the partner's business, competitive factors, solar power market conditions, or financial market conditions; the market for products such as the Company's solar power products is heavily influenced by federal, state, local and foreign government regulations and policies, as well as the availability and size of government subsidies and economic incentives, over which the Company has little control; and the Company is susceptible to shortages of specialized silicon that the Company uses in the manufacture of its products. In addition to the foregoing factors, the risk factors identified in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission - including the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on June 30, 2006 (copies of which may be obtained at the SEC's website at: http://www.sec.gov) - could impact the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in Company expectations, or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.