MERRIMACK, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GT Solar International, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOLR), a global provider of specialized production equipment, process technology and turnkey manufacturing services for the solar power industry, today announced the DSS450HP™, a high performance ingot growth furnace with a thermally optimized, second-generation hot zone for improved throughput while delivering industry-leading crystal quality. The DSS450HP delivers faster ingot growth rates resulting in 15 percent more system throughput and reduced energy consumption compared to the DSS450™ furnace. New DSS450HP systems begin shipping this month and are expected to be installed at customer sites beginning in May. Current DSS450 and DSS240™ users can migrate to the new DSS450HP with a field upgrade kit.

“Our DSS450HP furnace delivers a new level of performance that lowers the cost of PV manufacturing by further decreasing cycle times in the ingot growth process,” said Tom Gutierrez, GT Solar’s president and chief executive officer. “We designed the new system so current DSS240 and DSS450 customers can easily migrate to the new platform, which underscores our commitment to protecting our customers’ investment in GT Solar DSS equipment.”

With over 1,300 systems in the field, GT Solar’s DSS ingot growth furnaces are widely used in PV wafering operations. GT Solar’s innovation and expertise in mechanical design, vacuum and high-pressure chambers, control system design, and crystal growth modeling, provide customers with a technologically advanced directional solidification furnace that consistently produces high quality ingots with optimized mass ingot yield.

About GT Solar International, Inc.

GT Solar International, Inc., based in Merrimack, NH, USA, is a leading global provider of specialized production equipment, process technology and turnkey manufacturing services for the solar power industry. The company's products and services allow its customers to optimize their manufacturing environments and lower their cost of ownership, accelerating the drive towards grid parity. 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 manufacturing cost and cycle times for ingot growth, 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 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 2009 filed on June 9, 2009 and Form 10-Q for the third quarter of fiscal 2010 filed on February 5, 2010. Statements in this press release should be evaluated in light of these important factors. GT Solar International, Inc. is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Media
GT Solar
Jeff Nestel-Patt, 603-204-2883
jeff.nestelpatt@gtsolar.com
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Investors/Analysts
GT Solar
Bob Blair, 603-681-3869
bob.blair@gtsolar.com