8,498 MWh produced in six months since operations began in December 2012

Tokyo, August 27, 2013 －Solar Frontier recently marked six months of operations of its CIS solar panels at the Saudi Aramco Al-Midra Tower facility in Dharan, Saudi Arabia, where 8,498 MWh of solar-generated electricity was produced over the period. The city of Dhahran in Saudi Arabia was the site of the nation's first commercial oil field, which began producing oil in 1938. More recently, a Saudi Aramco parking lot in Dhahran covered by 10.5 MW of Solar Frontier's CIS thin-film solar panels is helping to facilitate the application of renewable energy technologies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

During peak periods, the city can average higher than 7 kwh/m2 of insolation per day. This makes it one of the sunniest places on Earth. However, the intense heat and sand of the region requires the system, including the solar modules, to have the highest quality and durability. Solar Frontier's combined achievements in these areas at Saudi Aramco's Al-Midra Tower facility have resulted in significant energy production to date.

"This result is a milestone that adjusts upward our performance expectation for Solar Frontier CIS panels in Saudi Arabia," said Atsuhiko Hirano, Senior Vice President, Solar Frontier. "Our production was optimal for Saudi Aramco's commitment to a 10.5 MW installation, which is currently the largest in Saudi Arabia. Our panels have performed well, making the overall economics of deployment in Saudi Arabia even more attractive."

The panels cover the complex's 4,450 parking spaces, an area of 16-18 hectares, and have a capacity of 10.5 MW, providing all of the building's daytime power needs and more.

About Solar Frontier

Solar Frontier K.K., a 100% subsidiary of Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. (TYO:5002) ("Solar Frontier"), has a mission to create the most economical, ecological solar energy solutions on Earth. Building on a legacy of work in solar energy since the 1970s, Solar Frontier today develops and manufactures CIS (denoting copper, indium, selenium) thin-film solar modules for customers in all sectors around the world. Solar Frontier's gigawatt-scale production facilities in Miyazaki, Japan, integrate compelling economical and ecological advantages into every module: from lower energy requirements in manufacturing to the higher overall output (kWh) of CIS in real operating conditions. Solar Frontier is headquartered in Tokyo, with offices in Europe, the U.S.A., and the Middle East. Visit www.solar-frontier.com for more information.