Solar

• Serves as development hub for innovative Si- technologies to advance global PV industries
• With an investment of USD 10 million, Dow Corning will enhance its R&D strength with a joint opening of the Science & Technology Center and SSAC

South Korea, May 18, 2011 – Dow Corning, a global leader in silicone and silicon-based technology and innovation, today announced the opening of the Dow Corning Solar Solutions Application Center (SSAC) in Jincheon, Korea. The center will play a pivotal role in the development of Korean and global solar photovoltaic (PV) industries.

The SSAC is expected to serve as a development hub helping customers commercialize their technology-intensive solar modules, driving the growth and innovation of Asian and global PV industries. The Korea facility will be the second Dow Corning Solar Solutions Application Center with an industrial-scale pilot line for module assembly; the first opened in May 2008 in Freeland, Michigan, USA.

At the SSAC, Dow Corning will work together with customers to develop, evaluate and test silicone materials and solutions used in the manufacture of solar panels. The Jincheon Center has an advanced pilot line for building full size module laminates utilizing Dow Corning's silicone liquid encapsulant. Working directly with our customers, we will use this capability to develop and commercialize new silicon materials solutions for their PV products. With Korea's leading companies taking aggressive moves to enter the PV market, Dow Corning's advanced R&D and performance testing facility for PV solutions will help the Korean PV industry gain global competitiveness.

About 100 representatives, including executives from Dow Corning headquarters, major corporate customers and Dow Corning employees, participated in the opening ceremony for the Center held today at Dow Corning Korea's Jincheon plant under the theme 'Sustainable Innovation Hub.'

"The launch of the Solar Solutions Application Center is another milestone which underlines Dow Corning's determination for sustainable growth in addition to its contributions to the Korean economy and industries over the past 28 years. The Center is also expected to help develop the nation’s electronics, construction, automobile, and new material industries, while recruiting and training a skilled workforce with industry expertise," said Duke Cho, President of Dow Corning Korea.

Dow Corning is applying more than 65 years of experience to bring innovation and efficiencies to the silicon-based materials that are ideal for solar applications, including silicon-based materials for next-generation solar cells, protective coatings for solar cells, high-performance silicone encapsulants, adhesives, and sealants. Dow Corning is also the majority shareholder in the Hemlock Semiconductor Group joint ventures, which includes Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation and Hemlock Semiconductor, L.L.C. Hemlock Semiconductor is a leading provider of polycrystalline silicon.

"In the past 6 years, Dow Corning and the Hemlock Semiconductor Group have announced investments of more than $5 billion to research and develop as well as to expand production of materials critical to the solar industry. We are indeed one of the very few companies that provide silicone-based solutions across the PV value chain," said Tom Cook, Senior VP & General Manager, Specialty Chemicals Business at Dow Corning. "Geographically, Korea is endowed with plenty of sun light, and it possesses world-class technical prowess in chemical, electric, electronic and construction fields, which are essential for the PV industry to grow. I have high confidence that collaboration with Korea will not only help Dow Corning gain photovoltaic competitiveness but also contribute to the development of the PV industry."

Today, Dow Corning is also celebrating the expansion of the Dow Corning Science & Technology (S&T) Center, which first opened its doors as the Cheongju S&T Center in 1987 before being moved to Jincheon in 1991. Dow Corning has invested USD 10 million (KRW 106 million) in the expansion of S&T Center, as well as SSAC with a vision of enhancing its R&D competitiveness to meet the ever-evolving needs of the customers.

The Dow Corning S&T Center is committed to developing new products and application technologies based on steady investment – approximately 5 percent of sales go to R&D every year. For Korean and Asian customers, it is closely cooperating with R&D centers in the US, Europe, Japan and China to improve product quality and manufacturing processes, develop new products and customer solutions and provide technical assistance in a broad range of industries, such as automobiles, construction, electronics, cosmetics, daily necessities, textiles, paper and photovoltaic.

About Dow Corning
Dow Corning (dowcorning.com ) provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs of more than 25,000 customers worldwide.
A global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, Dow Corning offers more than 7,000 products and services via the company’s Dow Corning® and XIAMETER® brands. Dow Corning is equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning, Incorporated. More than half of Dow Corning's annual sales are outside the United States.

Dow Corning is also the majority shareholder in the Hemlock Semiconductor Group (hscpoly.com) joint ventures, which includes Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation and Hemlock Semiconductor, L.L.C. Hemlock Semiconductor is a leading provider of polycrystalline silicon and other silicon-based products used in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices and solar cells and modules. Hemlock Semiconductor began operations in 1961 and has announced more than USD 4 billion of investments since 2005.