MIDLAND, Mich., July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Dow Corning Advanced Technologies and Ventures Business today announced it is sponsoring the University of Michigan Solar Car team, which aims to design, develop, finance and race a solar energy-powered car 1,800 miles across the Australian Outback this October as part of the World Solar Challenge. Dow Corning's $10,000 contribution will help the more than 150 students involved in the project in their attempt to become only the second American team to win the race.* The team also is evaluating Dow Corning's solar materials for possible use in this year's car.

"We sincerely appreciate Dow Corning's support, which will help our team field a competitive vehicle for this race," said Keyvan Mirsaeedi, head of corporate relations for the University of Michigan Solar Car Team. During more than 15 years of competition, the team has built eight cars and placed third in world competition three times, while offering world-class engineering and business experience to more than 1,000 students.

"Dow Corning has a strong recruiting relationship with the University of Michigan engineering department, and is proud to support such a unique, innovative program," said Steven Waier, a Dow Corning technical manager for Engineered Elastomers, who also leads the company's recruiting efforts at the university. "The University of Michigan does an excellent job preparing students for careers in our industry. During the past two years alone we have hired 16 of its engineering graduates," he said.

"This event is one of the world's great engineering challenges," said Barry Ketola, Solar Assembly Science & Technology group leader for Dow Corning's Solar Solutions Group. "We also see it as an opportunity to promote the wider use of photovoltaic (PV) solar energy technology, which is becoming increasingly affordable and could greatly reduce worldwide carbon dioxide emissions."

Dow Corning's Solar Solutions Group, established in 2000 has the capability to provide silicon-based solutions throughout the PV value chain, including feedstocks and a wide range of other options that improve the performance and durability of finished solar modules. Dow Corning is investing to continue to make a difference in solar energy by expanding our portfolio of total solution packages for cell manufacturing, module assembly and installation. Solution packages include high-performance encapsulants, adhesives, coatings, potting agents and sealants, as well as next-generation solar-grade silicon.

Our long-term commitment to sustainability and to providing solutions to the PV industry is supported by major investments in expanding manufacturing capabilities for metallurgical-grade silicon in Brazil and crystalline silicon at Hemlock Semiconductor Corp. in Michigan. Dow Corning is a majority shareholder in Hemlock Semiconductor.

Hemlock Semiconductor Corp., a joint venture among Dow Corning, Shin-Etsu Handotai, Co., Ltd., and Mitsubishi Materials Corp., is the world's largest maker of polycrystalline silicon. To meet the solar industry's soaring demand for polycrystalline silicon, Hemlock is spending $500 million to double its production capacity by 2008, and expects to complete another $1 billion expansion by 2012.

About Dow Corning

Dow Corning Corporation (http://www.dowcorning.com/) is a globally integrated provider of materials, application technology and services, and is focused on providing innovative technologies that help its customers to invent the future. For more information on Dow Corning Solar Solutions, visit http://www.dowcorning.com/solar. Dow Corning Corporation is equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning Incorporated . More than half of Dow Corning Corporation's sales are outside the United States.

* General Motors Corp. founded and won the first World Solar Challenge in Australia in 1987, and also is a sponsor of this year's University of Michigan team.

CONTACT: Rhonda Bovin of Dow Corning, +1-989-496-5489,
solar.solutions@dowcorning.com; or Agency, Bruce Hokanson of Loomis Group,
+1-360-574-4000, hokanson@loomisgroup.com, for Dow Corning

Web site: http://www.dowcorning.com/