National Semiconductor and GESOLAR Develop Smart Solar Panels

MUNICH, June 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- INTERSOLAR EUROPE -- National Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE: NSM) and Green Energy Solar (GESOLAR), a leading provider of solar energy products and services, have developed GESOLAR brand modules with embedded SolarMagic™ power optimization technology from National.

The award-winning SolarMagic product line combines National's unique expertise in power electronics with advanced monitoring and management capabilities to maximize energy capture across a solar installation. GESOLAR's high-efficiency polycrystalline photovoltaic (PV) modules incorporate SolarMagic power optimization to offer an affordable "smart panel" solution to the underperformance issues common with solar energy installations.

National and GESOLAR will demonstrate SolarMagic smart panels at Intersolar Europe in Munich, Germany, June 9-11, 2010. Visit National Semiconductor in Hall B5, Booth #429 and GESOLAR in Hall A3, Booth #462.

"National Semiconductor and GESOLAR share a commitment to bringing quality technologies to market and expanding the viability of clean energy around the world," said Mike Polacek, Senior Vice President, National Semiconductor. "Together we developed 'smart panels,' high-performance solar modules that enable residential and commercial solar systems to cost-effectively produce significantly more energy than that produced by standard panels."

"We are excited to collaborate with the pioneer in power management electronics to develop the next generation of solar panels," said Stephen Tong, CEO of GESOLAR. "Our new line of GESOLAR modules is a cost-effective, high performance product that will expand the market for solar installations."

About SolarMagic

National's SolarMagic SM3320 is the first analog-intensive power management chipset in a new category of in-panel electronics that improves power output, reliability and cost-effectiveness of solar systems. SolarMagic enables each solar panel to produce the maximum energy regardless of whether other panels in the array are under-performing due to mismatch. SolarMagic monitors and maximizes the energy harvest of each individual PV panel through a combination of advanced algorithms and leading-edge mixed-signal technology. In worldwide tests, SolarMagic can recoup up to 71 percent of power lost to mismatch – regardless of cell technology – giving installation owners more predictable power output and increased return on investment.

About National Semiconductor

National Semiconductor is a leader in analog power management technology. Its products include easy-to-use integrated circuits, PowerWise products that enable more energy-efficient systems, and SolarMagic products which improve the energy output of solar arrays. The company celebrated its 50th anniversary last May. Headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., National reported sales of $1.46 billion for fiscal 2009. Additional information is available at www.national.com.  

About Green Energy Solar (GESOLAR), Sainty International Group

GESOLAR is one of the leading partially vertical integrated manufacturers of crystalline PV modules and packaged solar system kits providers. Founded in 1978, GESOLAR is a subsidiary of Sainty International Group. In May 2010, GESOLAR merged with Jiangsu Guoxin Investment Group Limited. With total assets of $14 billion, GESOLAR is one of the largest corporations in China.

GESOLAR's premium quality PV modules have been applied extensively in residential, commercial and utility scaled projects around the world. Today, there are more than 30 countries using premium GESOLAR products. Additional information is available at www.gesolar-power.com and www.saintygroup.com.

National Semiconductor is a registered trademark and SolarMagic is a trademark of National Semiconductor Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE National Semiconductor Corp.