COURBEVOIE, France, February 2/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Saint-Gobain Vitrage, Saint-Gobain's Flat Glass Sector and Shell have signed a memorandum of understanding to produce next-generation solar panels. Shell has developed a new generation of photovoltaic panel based on C.I.S. (Copper Indium Selenide) thin film deposited on glass. This panel does not incorporate silicon wafers. It has been successfully tested and offers record efficiency, especially under low illumination conditions. Saint-Gobain Vitrage brings its experience and in-depth knowledge of thin-film layer deposits and glass transformation, developed after several years operating in the automotive and building markets. This partnership will strengthen Saint-Gobain's competitive advantages in its technical businesses through innovation, which is consistent with the Group strategy of increasing its R&D effort in the High Performance Materials and Flat Glass Sectors. Employing around 37,000 people, Saint-Gobain's Flat Glass Sector (Saint-Gobain Vitrage) generated sales of around to EUR4.7 billion in 2004. Saint-Gobain Vitrage operates in 39 countries and ranks number two worldwide and number one in Europe in the flat glass market. Saint-Gobain Vitrage is organized according to the markets it serves. Its businesses include: Saint-Gobain Glass, which specializes in basic glass products; the Saint-Gobain Glass Solutions network, which processes and distributes glass destined for the architectural and decoration markets; Saint-Gobain Sekurit, the leading supplier of glass to the automotive and transport markets; and finally Saint-Gobain Specialties, which supplies glass products to the domestic appliances and electronics industries, but also to the industrial and commercial equipment industries.
