Konarka and Evident Technologies Form Joint Research Program to Develop Ultra High Performance Power Plastic

Companies’ novel polymers and quantum dots target capturing broad spectrum of both visible and invisible light

Lowell, Mass., and Troy, N.Y. – March 23, 2005 – Konarka Technologies, Inc., an innovator in developing and commercializing power plastics that convert light to energy, and Evident Technologies, a leader in quantum dot development and applications, today announced the companies are collaborating on research to increase the sensitivity of plastic solar cells to a wider range of the light spectrum. Using Konarka’s proprietary polymers and Evident’s quantum dots, the team is developing novel materials that improve the overall performance of power plastic.

“As part of our continuing efforts to push photovoltaic science forward, we’ve learned how to get sensitivity outside the visible light spectrum, including the infrared, with our polymers,” said Russell Gaudiana, Ph.D., vice president of research and development, Konarka. “This collaboration is focused on determining the best materials to capture more light and how to manufacture them outside the lab environment.”

Evident’s proprietary EviDots™, which are high performance semiconductor nanocrystals active throughout the visible spectrum and into the near–infrared, are being combined with Konarka’s conductive polymers to create ultra high performance solar cells that exceed the capabilities of today’s best silicon-based technologies. The project is in keeping with both companies’ stated missions to offer high-efficiency, low-cost materials in new form factors. The quantum dot power plastic could be used for demanding energy, communications and military applications, such as battlefield or off-grid power generation.

“Through our proprietary nanotechnology, we uniquely design the optical and electronic properties of our EviDots. Our quantum dots are tuned to absorb light over the solar spectrum from the visible through the infrared. This leads to harvesting a greater portion of energy, resulting in greater efficiencies for solar cells,” commented Michael LoCascio, chief technology officer, Evident Technologies. “By combining our quantum dots with Konarka’s innovative solar cell technology, together we are going to lead the way in making ultra high performance plastic solar cells a commercial reality.”

This program with Evident complements Konarka’s ongoing efforts to develop different coat-able and printable chemistries for its light-activated power plastic. Each chemistry can be tuned to a specific purpose, enabling customers to choose the performance that best suits the power requirements of their devices, systems or structures.

About Evident Technologies

Evident Technologies (http://www.evidenttech.com) is a pioneer in the development of advanced nanomaterials engineered to enable the creation of advanced products for numerous markets including life sciences, solid state lighting, energy, security, telecommunications and emergent nanotechnology markets. Evident works with customers worldwide to fashion these advanced materials into new products and is also a leading commercial source for a wide range of quantum dot material systems that offer advantages over traditional semiconductors. For more information, visit http://www.evidenttech.com.

About Konarka Technologies, Inc.

Konarka builds products that convert light to energy – anywhere. Konarka is the leading developer of polymer photovoltaic products that provide a source of renewable power in a variety of form factors for commercial, industrial, government and consumer applications. Konarka’s photovoltaic nanotechnology is focused on delivering lightweight, flexible, scalable and manufacturable products. Konarka has a broad portfolio of patents, technology licenses and an accomplished technical team. Nobel Laureate Professor Alan Heeger (UC Santa Barbara) is the chief scientist for Konarka, and Dr. Michael Grätzel (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) is a senior scientific advisor. Konarka Technologies is headquartered in Lowell, Mass., U.S.A., with research and development subsidiaries in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. For more information, visit http://www.konarka.com or contact Tracy Wemett, BroadPR, at 617-868-5031 or .

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