Saint-Gobain Vitrage and Shell to develop new generation of Photovoltaic solar panels

Saint-Gobain Vitrage, Saint-Gobain�s Flat Glass Sector and Shell have signed a memorandum of understanding to produce next-generation solar panels.

Shell has developed a new generation of photovolta�c panel based on C.I.S. (Copper Indium Selenide) thin film deposited on glass. This panel does not incorporate silicon wafers. It has been successfully tested and offers record efficiency, especially under low illumination conditions.

Saint-Gobain Vitrage brings its experience and in-depth knowledge of thin-film layer deposits and glass transformation, developed after several years operating in the automotive and building markets.

Saint-Gobain�s Flat Glass Sector (Saint-Gobain Vitrage), employs around 37,000 people and generated sales of around to �4.7 billion in 2004. Saint-Gobain Vitrage operates in 39 countries and ranks number two worldwide and number one in Europe in the flat glass market.

Saint-Gobain Vitrage is organized according to the markets it serves. Its businesses include: Saint-Gobain Glass, which specializes in basic glass products; the Saint-Gobain Glass Solutions network, which processes and distributes glass destined for the architectural and decoration markets; Saint-Gobain Sekurit, the leading supplier of glass to the automotive and transport markets; and finally Saint-Gobain Specialties, which supplies glass products to the domestic appliances and electronics industries, but also to the industrial and commercial equipment industries.

About Saint-Gobain Vitrage.

Shell Solar, headquartered in The Hague, The Netherlands and employing around 1,300 people, provides an integrated solution; from manufacturing silicon components, solar cells and modules to selling and designing complete systems for grid connected or remote power applications.

Shell Solar is involved in photovoltaics, the technology that converts light directly into electricity. Shell Solar manufactures and sells an excellent performing range of solar panels with high energy yields. The Shell PowerMax*solar panels range consists of mono- and multi crystalline cell technologies and the leading Shell thin film technology, CIS (Copper Indium Diselinide).

Shell is convinced that solar energy will play a significant role in the future energy mix, as the demand for clean energy will grow. Shell Solar is part of Shell Renewables, one of the five core businesses of The Shell Group.

This partnership with Shell will strengthen Saint-Gobain�s competitive advantages in its technical businesses through innovation, which is consistent with the Group strategy of increasing its R&D effort in the High Performance Materials and Flat Glass Sectors