Source/Type: CompoundSemi Online -- Compound Semiconductor Supply Chain News - Company News Releases

Ascent Solar Achieves Key Manufacturing Milestone

March 31, 2008... Littleton, Colorado USA--Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. announced today that the company has achieved its first quarter 2008 manufacturing milestone of Initial Operating Capability (IOC) on its 1.5 megawatt production line.

Ascent Solar employs a unique roll-to-roll manufacturing process to produce photovoltaic modules on large format plastic rolls. The first set of production runs with the new processing tools resulted in better than expected average efficiencies of 9.5% including a high efficiency of 10.27%. Uniformity in the manufacturing processes and tools has met company targets for the initial production trials by achieving overall thin-film uniformity of plus or minus approximately 3% across the width of the roll and plus or minus approximately 2% along its length.

Ascent Solar’s Senior Vice President for Manufacturing, Dr. Prem Nath stated, “IOC is an important milestone for Ascent Solar. Our entire manufacturing team is very pleased with the initial results, including the process uniformities demonstrated by our new production tools. We now intend to focus our efforts on repeatability, production yields and continued efficiency improvements.”

Ascent Solar plans to begin limited commercial production by the end of the second quarter of 2008, supplying development and test modules to customers in support of joint product development efforts currently underway, and initiating product certification activities.

About Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc.:

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. is a developer of thin-film photovoltaic materials and modules and is located in Littleton, Colorado. Please visit our website for additional information at www.ascentsolar.com.

Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the Company's actual operating results to be materially different from any historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements that explicitly describe these risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements that contain terms such as "believes," "belief," "expects," "expect," "intends," "intend," "anticipate," "anticipates," "plans," "plan," to be uncertain and forward-looking. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contacts:

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc.
Brian Blackman, 832-515-0928 (Investor Relations)

or
Brand Fortified Public Relations
Kelly Brandner, 303-289-4303 (Media)

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