Economic Stimulus Bill Signals Commitment to Adoption of Solar Thermal in U.S.

ENNEPETAL, GERMANY - Alanod Solar, the world's leading manufacturer of reflective and absorptive solar surface solutions, has now shipped more than one hundred million square feet of solar absorptive surfaces worldwide. Alanod Solar has produced and shipped more selective absorbing surfaces for the solar thermal industry than any other company in the world. These installed surfaces for the production of solar hot water and industrial process heat and cooling offset more than one million tons of CO2 emissions annually.

The solar thermal market continues to grow around the globe, and is an emerging industry in the United States. Installations in North America by Alanod Solar commercial partners have grown rapidly in the past year, indicating that the market is quickly gaining ground. Alanod Solar expects this accelerated adoption to continue as a result of new incentives and measures outlined in the recent economic stimulus bill.

"Solar thermal is one of the world's better renewable energy success stories, and as the U.S. begins to migrate its existing infrastructure towards this technology, we will see a tremendous surge in growth," said Andy Sabel, North America Market Manager for Alanod Solar. "We are so optimistic about this technology that Alanod Solar has already installed enough production capacity to allow for a doubling of worldwide demand for absorbing surfaces in 2009."

A number of initiatives designed to advance the solar industry are included in the recently signed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Specifically for solar thermal, the act removes the $2,000 cap on tax credits for the purchase of solar hot water equipment and allows for a full credit of up to thirty percent for qualified equipment.

"This is an important change because it will pave the way for larger residential systems that can provide hot water, heating during the winter, and cooling in the summer," continued Mr. Sabel. "In these areas, Europe provides a compelling case study and can help American companies and consumers realize greater cost savings more quickly."

Alanod Solar is a pioneer in the use of cutting edge technology to make highly efficient and better performing solar surface solutions for both reflective and absorptive applications. Absorber coatings are a critical component in solar thermal systems, directly impacting overall performance. Alanod Solar uses both aluminum and copper surfaces for its coatings to provide a range of solutions based on the application requirements. The company's aluminum absorber is known as Alanod Solar MIROTHERM(TM), while its copper absorber is called Alanod Solar SUNSELECT(TM).

Alanod Solar's technology team has also pioneered the use of laser welding to attach copper tubes to MIROTHERM and SUNSELECT surfaces, an integral part of any solar thermal solution. The resulting absorber plates and fins are widely considered to be the standard for the solar thermal industry.

Alanod Solar is working closely with American companies and policy-making organizations based upon its long experience in the more advanced European solar thermal industry. The goal is to bring the superior cost and environmental advantages of solar thermal practices to the U.S. in the most effective way possible. To date, the total amount of Alanod Solar absorptive material used in solar thermal systems around the world has offset nearly eight million tons of carbon dioxide.

For more information on Alanod Solar or to learn about the company's advanced reflective and absorptive solar surface solutions, please visit www.alanod-solar.com.

About Alanod Solar

Alanod Solar is a division of Alanod Aluminum Veredlung, a thirty-year leader in surface solutions based in Ennepetal, Germany. Alanod Solar leverages the world's most advanced development labs and production lines to create superior reflective and absorptive surface solutions. The company's long history of excellence and reliability set it apart in the industry, with the performance of its products leading to higher efficiency, better durability and an overall lower cost of systems for solar technologies.

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