WESCO and Suntech Help California School System Save Money

GOODYEAR, Ariz. and SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 23, 2011 -- /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- WESCO International, Inc. (NYSE: WCC), a leading provider of electrical, industrial, and communications MRO and OEM products, construction materials, and advanced supply chain management and logistics services, together with Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP), the world's largest producer of solar panels, recently completed a 625 kilowatt-peak (kWp)solar project for the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) in California.

Altogether, 2,272Suntech solar panels cover nearly one acre, comprising a 503kWp carport array and26Kw parray on the roof of the CCCOE office in Pleasant Hill, California, as well as a 96kWp ground-mounted installation located at Lucille Mauzy School in Alamo, California. Over the next 25 years, the solar installation is expected to generate more than 15 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and to save the CCCOE millions of dollars in electricity costs. The CCCOE plays a leadership role in the delivery of quality education to more than 166,000 K-12 students in Contra Costa County.

"These installations will not only reduce our electricity bills, but will serve as a strong example for the local community and the students we serve about the importance of taking responsibility for our planet's future," said John F. Hild, Director, General Services of the Contra Costa County Office of Education. "In this case, the smart financial decision was also the right thing to do."

WESCO teamed with general contractor, Roebbelen Contracting, on the project that featured solar panels, inverters, and other installation components manufactured in the U.S. The installations were some of the first to use Suntech solar panels made in Goodyear, Arizona. The project also represents WESCO's first major project with Suntech, and now the two companies are working together on additional megawatts of installations in northern California, all with solar panels from Suntech's Arizona manufacturing facility.

As a full service distribution provider, WESCO sees solar as an important opportunity for future growth. "WESCO believes strongly in promoting clean sources of energy like solar power. Working with key partners like Suntech and Roebbelen Contracting on large scale solar projects furthers our commitment to becoming a leading national distributor of solar PV products providing clean energy solutions to our customers," said Jeff Stroin, WESCO Distribution's Regional Vice President.

Suntech's manufacturing facility in Goodyear, Arizona, features highly-automated manufacturing and product testing equipment and currently produces Suntech's 280W multicrystalline solar panels for commercial and utility-scale electricity generation. All modules produced at the facility are backed by an industry-leading 25-year power output warranty and are compliant for procurement in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) projects.

The 117,000 square foot manufacturing facility opened in October 2010 with 40 employees, and has expanded steadily since. Suntech Arizona just brought on a 3rd production shift, growing to about 107 employees, and remains on-target to employ 150 employees by the end of 2011.

"This is a great way to kick-off our partnership with WESCO, and we look forward to working together on several megawatts of solar installations this year," said Steve Chan, President of Suntech America. "It's rewarding to see our U.S.-manufactured products installed just down the road from our North America headquarters here in San Francisco. Over the last four years, our U.S. operations have grown from one person to now about 200 people. We're still just getting started, and projects like this will allow us to continue to grow."

About WESCO International, Inc.

WESCO International, Inc. (NYSE: WCC), a publicly traded Fortune 500 company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a leading provider of electrical, industrial, and communications maintenance, repair and operating ("MRO") and original equipment manufacturers ("OEM") products, construction materials, and advanced supply chain management and logistics services. 2010 annual sales were approximately $5.1 billion. The Company employs approximately 6,800 people, maintains relationships with over 17,000 suppliers, and serves over 100,000 customers worldwide. Customers include industrial and commercial businesses, contractors, governmental agencies, institutions, telecommunications providers and utilities. WESCO operates seven fully automated distribution centers and over 400 full-service branches in North America and international markets, providing a local presence for customers and a global network to serve multi-location businesses and multi-national corporations.

About Suntech

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP) produces industry-leading solar products for residential, commercial, industrial, and utility applications. With regional headquarters in China, Switzerland, and the United States, and gigawatt-scale manufacturing worldwide, Suntech has delivered more than 15,000,000 photovoltaic panels to over a thousand customers in more than 80 countries. Suntech's pioneering R&D creates customer-centric innovations that are driving solar to grid parity against fossil fuels. Suntech's mission is to provide everyone with reliable access to nature's cleanest and most abundant energy source.

For more information about Suntech's people and products visit http://www.suntech-power.com .

About Roebbelen Contracting, Inc.

Roebbelen was founded by Hans Roebbelen in 1959 in Sacramento, with our headquarters located in El Dorado Hills, California. Reorganized and incorporated in 1997, Roebbelen is an award-winning construction corporation dedicated to satisfying the needs and requirements of every client. We specialize in the construction of institutional, commercial and industrial projects, providing Construction Management, Lease-Leaseback, Design-Build, General Contracting and Value Analysis services to our clients. Roebbelen has completed over 370 education and public works contracts valued at $1.5 billion over the past five years alone and have been ranked #206 in 2011 on the ENR Top Contractors list. We are dedicated to delivering the very best construction development services in value and service on every project we build. We work diligently drawing on our experiences to raise the quality, speed and value of each project we undertake.

For more information on Roebbelen Contracting, Inc. please visit: www.roebbelen.com .

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements, and includes the ability of the solar system to generate more than 15 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and save the CCCOE millions of dollars in electricity costs over the next 25 years. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Suntech's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F. Suntech does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.

SOURCE Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd.