Dow Chemical's Solar division announces first Powerhouse Solar Shingle launch in Colorado, cites state's market receptivity to solar; further expansion will be announced in coming months

Lorena Madrigal

Lorena Madrigal

ARVADA, Colorado , October 13, 2011 (press release) – The roof of a home has always had the critical job of protecting families from the elements. Today, for the first time, a new commercially-available solar roofing shingle has entered the U.S. housing market that not only protects from the elements, but uses one of those elements — sunlight — to turn the typical American home into a dynamic power generator.

At an event today in Arvada attended by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and supporters of solar technology, alternative energy, green manufacturing and the latest innovations in home building, Dow Solar, a division of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), announced that the DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle will now be available to homeowners in Colorado. On October 4, Dow announced that the product would be available in targeted U.S. markets and now Colorado becomes the first state to offer Dow’s revolutionary Solar Shingle.

Co-hosted by D.R. Horton (NYSE: DHI), one of the leading homebuilders in the nation and the first residential production builder to participate with Dow Solar, the event showcased D.R. Horton’s commitment to offer the POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle as a standard feature on 50 new homes in the developer’s Spring Mesa community in Colorado. Each of the remaining homes in Spring Mesa will receive a 3 kilowatt POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle roof.

“We are excited that Dow has chosen D.R. Horton’s Spring Mesa community to launch its POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle technology,” said Scott Davis, Division President, D.R. Horton - Colorado. “We believe the addition of solar technology will attract new homebuyers to Spring Mesa who will now have Dow’s innovative Solar Shingles available on one of the most scenic and beautiful communities in the Denver area.”

According to Dow Solar Vice President, Jane Palmieri, the introduction of the POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle into the Colorado market represents an exciting step towards bringing homeowners a solar solution that helps them save money and reduce their carbon footprint without compromising the aesthetics of their home.

“Colorado is the right place to introduce the POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle in, and we couldn’t be more excited to have D.R. Horton as our first participant,” Palmieri said. “Each of us shares a mutual vision of bringing innovations to this state and creating new opportunities for homeowners to have easier and better looking choices for residential solar. Working together, there is no doubt we can drive solar adoption rates in Colorado, and continue keeping this state at the forefront of clean, solar advancements.”

Why Launch in Colorado?

Dow chose Colorado as the first launch market for the POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle because the state provides the right combination of financial returns and market receptivity to solar.

According to Neal Lurie, Executive Director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA), a number of factors combine to make Colorado the right market for the introduction of an important new solar technology.

“Colorado is a national leader in solar energy innovation and job creation. We have the right combination of public sector support, private sector commitment, homeowner interest and an enthusiastic community of builders and installers,” Lurie said. “The launch of POWERHOUSE™ in Colorado is a significant accomplishment for the state as clean energy once again serves as a catalyst for economic development.”

Working with Homebuilders, Roofing Contractors and Installers in Colorado

Behind a strong brand reputation and warranty, Dow is transforming the residential solar market by making a solar installation as easy as installing a composition shingle rooftop. This provides a new business opportunity for professional roofing contractors – now the only trade required on the roof for installation — and homebuilders looking for a solar solution that doesn’t interrupt the home’s attractiveness.

Dow Solar will bring the POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle to Colorado by working with leading homebuilders such as D.R. Horton to create more solar communities, and with POWERHOUSE™ Authorized Dealers to grow the solar market in Colorado one rooftop at a time. Expansion throughout Colorado is continuing and other U.S. market will be announced in the coming months.

The DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle

The POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle roofing system protects the home like a standard roofing shingle while providing energy that powers the home and saves the homeowner money.

The three-part solar roofing system package includes an array of shingles, an inverter and an energy monitoring system. The shingles, custom designed to fit the individual homeowners’ budget and energy goals, are arranged to complement the style and form of the home and roofline. The inverter then converts Direct Current (DC) produced from the shingles into Alternating Current (AC), which is then fed to the home’s appliances, or back to the power grid. Finally, a real-time monitoring system provides readouts to homeowners to assess energy usage, production and the amount of excess power flowing back to the grid.

The great look of the integrated POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle solution now serves the needs of homeowners who want to go solar, but dislike the aesthetic of bulky, rack-mounted systems.

The POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle is Made in the USA at Dow’s small-scale manufacturing facility in Midland, Michigan. Dow has also begun construction of a new, large-scale facility at Dow’s Midland, Michigan Operations site, which the Company expects will create up to 1,275 jobs between now and 2015.

POWERHOUSE ™ has the safety backing of Underwriters Laboratories (UL), is backed by Dow and a warranty, and can withstand rain, hail and wind.

Visit www.DowSolar.com to find more information about the DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingles, or to sign up for updates and e-newsletters.

Spring Mesa

D.R. Horton’s Spring Mesa - in West Arvada - is a prestigious community with spectacular views of the Denver skyline, and floor plans ranging from 2,204 to 4,115 square feet that start from $485,950. Spring Mesa was the first D.R. Horton-Denver community to offer a luxurious 7-Diamond Kitchen, which features S.C. granite countertops with decorative tile backsplash, custom tiered maple cabinetry with glass front cabinet doors, self closing drawers and decorative molding, 36" gas cook top with designer vent hood, 42" self close refrigerator and separate 24" beverage chiller &much more! The remaining home sites will combine D.R. Horton’s current popular floor plans with Dow’s innovative solar shingle technology.

Visitors are welcome to tour Spring Mesa on Sunday, October 16 and Monday from noon to 6:00 p.m., and Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For more information, please visit www.drhorton.com. All measurements above are approximate.

About DOW POWERHOUSE™

The POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle, named one of the "50 Best Inventions of 2009" by TIME magazine, provides an unprecedented integrated roof appearance and simplified installation. It combines a roofing shingle with a solar cell, enabling the DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle to be installed by a roofer along with standard asphalt roofing materials. This makes the DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle an easy choice for homeowners looking for a residential solar solution that is easy to install and aesthetically pleasing. Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) products from Dow Solar are evidence that Dow is focused on developing energy alternatives and expanding Dow's commitment to use chemistry to solve the world's energy challenges. More information about Dow Solar can be found at www.dowsolar.com. Homeowners and building professionals can also follow Dow Solar on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DowSolar) and Twitter (@DowSolar).

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: Dow) combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had annual sales of $53.7 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

About D.R. Horton

D.R. Horton, Inc., America's Builder, is the largest homebuilder in the United States, based on its 15,989 homes closed in the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2011. Founded in 1978 in Fort Worth, Texas, D.R. Horton has operations in 71 markets in 26 states in the East, Midwest, Southeast, South Central, Southwest and West regions of the United States. The Company is engaged in the construction and sale of high quality homes with sales prices ranging from $90,000 to over $700,000. D.R. Horton also provides mortgage financing and title services for homebuyers through its mortgage and title subsidiaries. D.R. Horton is an Equal Opportunity Homebuilder.

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