SunEdison Helps California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Reduce Electricity Costs

BELMONT, Calif., Dec. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SunEdison, a leading worldwide solar energy services provider and a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE: WFR), applauds the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) for its "Going Green" sustainability initiative, which is expected to save the state's taxpayers more than $45 million.

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Throughout a six-year relationship, SunEdison implemented and continues to manage 18.4 MW (DC) of distributed generation solar energy on prison grounds turning unusable land into clean energy. The solar power plants are located at California Correctional Institution, Chuckawalla Valley State Prison, Ironwood State Prison and North Kern State Prison.  The solar energy generated by the SunEdison systems will provide enough clean energy to power 65,091 homes and offset over 730 million pounds of CO₂ emissions, the equivalent of taking 72,129 cars off the road over twenty years.

"Helping the CDCR cut electricity bills and reduce its carbon footprint is very rewarding," said Attila Toth, General Manager of Distributed Generation Solar for SunEdison.  "By working with our finance partners we've been able to complete these projects without using California taxpayer general funds and generate significant savings for the state.  Our management and operations capabilities are designed to ensure high performance for the CDCR over the next 20 years."

Beginning in 2006, SunEdison has installed ground-mounted solar systems at five prisons in California including North Kern State Prison, Chuckawalla Valley State Prison, Ironwood State Prison, California Correctional Institution, and Los Angeles County.

"Going Green is important to the CDCR and our relationship with SunEdison is a critical component in our effort," said Mark Hardcastle, Chief Energy Sustainability and Infrastructure Section, Facility Planning, Construction and Management for the CDCR.  "By installing solar power plants on land surrounding the prisons we're generating clean energy and reducing bills for the people of California."

About SunEdison

SunEdison is a global provider of solar-energy services. The company develops, finances, installs and operates distributed power plants using proven photovoltaic technologies, delivering fully managed, predictably priced solar energy services for its commercial, government and utility customers. In 2009, SunEdison delivered more kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy than any other solar services provider in North America. For more information about SunEdison, please visit www.sunedison.com.

About MEMC

MEMC is a global leader in semiconductor and solar technology.  MEMC has been a pioneer in the design and development of silicon wafer technologies for over 50 years.  With R&D and manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, MEMC enables the next generation of high performance semiconductor devices and solar cells.  Through its SunEdison subsidiary, MEMC is also a developer of solar power projects and a worldwide leader in solar energy services.  MEMC's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "WFR."  For more information about MEMC, please visit www.memc.com.

SOURCE SunEdison