SunEdison Hosts Open House at Rovigo Site

ROVIGO, Italy, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- SunEdison, a leading worldwide solar energy services provider and division of MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE: WFR), hosted an open house at the site of its power plant project near Rovigo, Italy.  When completed, the 72 megawatt facility is expected to be Europe's largest photovoltaic power plant.

More than 100 representatives from the solar industry, regional and local governments, key partners and press attended the Rovigo Open House event on July 29th. During the event, SunEdison demonstrated how it designed and is building the utility-scale solar plant which sets a photovoltaic benchmark in Europe and throughout the world.

"The Rovigo project is a worldwide milestone in the solar industry and represents a key element of SunEdison's development strategy in Europe. The project demonstrates SunEdison's focus on enabling the growth of global solar markets through strong financial capabilities and technical know-how, based on a track record of more than 350 solar power plants under management around the world," said Pancho Perez, General Manager EMEA of SunEdison.

On a tour along the over 4 km perimeter of the plant, attendees had the opportunity to see up close the support structures, for which installation has already been completed, and one of the sixty transformation centers and inverter cabins. Another highlight of the tour was the high voltage substation, which is being built in close collaboration with TERNA and will set the standard for the activation of high-voltage photovoltaic plants in Italy.

The local government expressed its enthusiasm for the project and stressed the many benefits the project is bringing to the community, including the employment of nearly 500 people throughout the building process.

"I am impressed by the overall relevance of the project. SunEdison is bringing to our territory important values, a high level of professionalism, as well as a strong commitment and expertise in advanced energy technologies," underlined Giorgio Grassia, Castelguglielmo Mayor. "Since the construction started in March 2010, the photovoltaic plant has offered a significant stimulus for the local economy and job creation," concluded Massimo Bordin, San Bellino Mayor.

The Rovigo Project is expected to be interconnected by the end of the year, thanks to the commitment and support of public bodies and all partners involved, including TERNA, ENEL and WIND.

About SunEdison

SunEdison is a global provider of solar-energy services. The company develops, installs, finances and operates distributed power plants using proven photovoltaic technologies, delivering fully managed, predictably priced solar energy services for its commercial, government and utility customers. In 2009, SunEdison delivered more kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy than any other solar services provider in North America. For more information about SunEdison, please visit www.sunedison.com.

About MEMC

MEMC is a global leader in the manufacture and sale of wafers and related intermediate products to the semiconductor and solar industries. MEMC has been a pioneer in the design and development of silicon wafer technologies for 50 years. With R&D and manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, MEMC enables the next generation of high-performance semiconductor devices and solar cells. Through its SunEdison division, MEMC is also a developer of solar power projects and North America's largest solar energy services provider.

MEMC's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "WFR" and is included in the S&P 500 Index. For more information about MEMC, please visit www.memc.com.

SOURCE SunEdison