Spire Produces World’s Most Efficient Large Area Concentrator Solar Cell

Spire’s triple junction, 1.0 cm² cell is 41% efficient at 500x suns, as measured by NREL

BEDFORD, Mass.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Spire Corporation (Nasdaq: SPIR), an American global solar company providing capital equipment and turnkey production lines to manufacture photovoltaic (PV) modules and cells, today announced its wholly owned subsidiary, Spire Semiconductor, LLC, has matched the current efficiency record for a concentrator solar cell. The record efficiency is available on a production ready cell with a photo area of 1.0 cm².

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) measured the efficiency of 41.0% at 500x suns concentrated sunlight. Spire Semiconductor began working with NREL under an 18-month, $3.7 million cost share subcontract in early-2009. The goal is to develop a triple junction, gallium arsenide (GaAs), 42.5% conversion efficient “Triathlon” concentrator cell for concentrator photovoltaic systems.

“This is truly an achievement,” said Roger G. Little, Chairman and CEO of Spire Corporation. “We have experienced continuous improvement in our proprietary cell processing design technology throughout the NREL contract. We are excited to have matched the current world record efficiency, and we have nearly four months remaining under the subcontract to surpass this level and achieve the target 42.5% efficiency. A more efficient concentrator solar cell will provide a lower cost and more reliable source of solar generated electricity,” concluded Mr. Little.

About National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is the nation's primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

About Spire Corporation

Spire Corporation is an American global solar company providing capital equipment and turnkey production lines to manufacture PV cells and modules, and was selected as 2009’s Best Turnkey Company for PV Manufacturing.

Certain matters described in this press release may be forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk of dependence on market growth, competition and dependence on government agencies and other third parties for funding contract research and services, as well as other factors described in the Company's Form 10-K and other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.