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Midland, Mich. – July 16, 2007 – Dow Corning Advanced Technologies and
Ventures Business today announced it is sponsoring the University of Michigan
Solar Car team, which aims to design, develop, finance and race a solar
energy-powered car 1,800 miles across the Australian Outback this October as
part of the World Solar Challenge. Dow Corning’s $10,000 contribution will help
the more than 150 students involved in the project in their attempt to become
only the second American team to win the race.* The team also is evaluating Dow
Corning’s solar materials for possible use in this year’s car.
“We sincerely appreciate Dow Corning’s support, which will help our team
field a competitive vehicle for this race,” said Keyvan Mirsaeedi, head of
corporate relations for the University of Michigan Solar Car Team. During more
than 15 years of competition, the team has built eight cars and placed third in
world competition three times, while offering world-class engineering and
business experience to more than 1,000 students.
“Dow Corning has a strong recruiting relationship with the University of
Michigan engineering department, and is proud to support such a unique,
innovative program,” said Steven Waier, a Dow Corning technical manager for
Engineered Elastomers, who also leads the company’s recruiting efforts at the
university. “The University of Michigan does an excellent job preparing
students for careers in our industry. During the past two years alone we have
hired 16 of its engineering graduates,” he said.
“This event is one of the world’s great engineering challenges,” said Barry
Ketola, Solar Assembly Science & Technology group leader for Dow Corning’s
Solar Solutions Group. “We also see it as an opportunity to promote the wider
use of photovoltaic (PV) solar energy technology, which is becoming
increasingly affordable and could greatly reduce worldwide carbon dioxide
emissions.”
Dow Corning’s Solar Solutions Group, established in 2000 has the capability
to provide silicon-based solutions throughout the PV value chain, including
feedstocks and a wide range of other options that improve the performance and
durability of finished solar modules. Dow Corning is investing to continue to
make a difference in solar energy by expanding our portfolio of total solution
packages for cell manufacturing, module assembly and installation. Solution
packages include high-performance encapsulants, adhesives, coatings, potting
agents and sealants, as well as next-generation solar-grade silicon.
Our long-term commitment to sustainability and to providing solutions to the
PV industry is supported by major investments in expanding manufacturing
capabilities for metallurgical-grade silicon in Brazil and crystalline silicon
at Hemlock Semiconductor Corp. in Michigan. Dow Corning is a majority
shareholder in Hemlock Semiconductor.
Hemlock Semiconductor Corp., a joint venture among Dow Corning, Shin-Etsu
Handotai, Co., Ltd., and Mitsubishi Materials Corp., is the world’s largest
maker of polycrystalline silicon. To meet the solar industry’s soaring demand
for polycrystalline silicon, Hemlock is spending $500 million to double its
production capacity by 2008, and expects to complete another $1 billion
expansion by 2012.
* General Motors Corp. founded and won the first World Solar Challenge in
Australia in 1987, and also is a sponsor of this year’s University of Michigan
team. |
