GT Solar Announces Newest CVD Reactor for Polysilicon Production

SDR400 offers 33 percent greater productivity and 20 percent lower electricity consumption per kilogram of polysilicon produced

MERRIMACK, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GT Solar International, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOLR), a global provider of polysilicon production technology, and sapphire and silicon crystalline growth systems and materials for the solar, LED and other specialty markets, today announced the SDR™400 next generation CVD reactor for the production of high purity polysilicon. The SDR400 reactor can produce greater than 400 metric tons annually (MTA) of polysilicon. The new SDR400 also lowers electricity consumption by approximately 20 percent for each kilogram of polysilicon produced over the company’s previous generation reactor, the SDR300.

“Customers can produce 33 percent more polysilicon annually in the same footprint using approximately 20 percent less electricity for every kilogram of polysilicon produced. This lowers their cost of ownership and strengthens their competitive position.”

“Our new SDR400 CVD reactor further extends our polysilicon production technology leadership,” said Dave Keck, vice president and general manager of GT Solar’s polysilicon division. “Customers can produce 33 percent more polysilicon annually in the same footprint using approximately 20 percent less electricity for every kilogram of polysilicon produced. This lowers their cost of ownership and strengthens their competitive position.”

GT Solar also announced that it is partnering with German-based AEG Power Solutions to offer a new power supply developed by AEG, the Thryobox™ PI, that is designed to further enhance the output of the SDR400 reactor. The new power supply will be offered as an option to the standard SDR400 configuration and is targeted to increase annual polysilicon production to greater than 500 MTA. Current GT Solar customers using previous generation reactors will be able to upgrade these systems to take advantage of the expected increased annual production output.

About GT Solar International, Inc.

GT Solar International, Inc., based in Merrimack, NH, USA, is a global provider of polysilicon production technology, and sapphire and silicon crystalline growth systems and materials for the solar, LED and other specialty markets. The company's products and services allow its customers to optimize their manufacturing environments and lower their cost of ownership. For additional information about GT Solar, please visit www.gtsolar.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this press release, including statements relating to output, power consumption and lowering cost of ownership for polysilicon production, are forward-looking in nature. These statements are based on management's current expectations or beliefs. These forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the Company's control, which could cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements. Factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements include the possibility that the Company is unable to recognize revenue on customer contracts, that technological changes could render existing products or technologies obsolete, the Company’s products may not perform in accordance with expectations, the Company may be unable to protect its intellectual property rights, competition from other manufacturers may increase, exchange rate fluctuations and conditions in the credit markets and economy may reduce demand for the Company’s products and various other risks as outlined in GT Solar International, Inc.’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the statements under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2010 filed on June 4, 2010 and the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended on July 3, 2010 filed on August 6, 2010.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6418540&lang=en