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KYOCERA to Begin Solar Product Manufacturing in North America

Tijuana, Mexico production capacity planned for 35 megawatts per year with support from new San Diego engineering and marketing office

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. -- (August 10, 2004) – Kyocera announced today that it will begin large-scale assembly of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules this fall at its maquiladora facility in Tijuana, Mexico, with plans to establish a regional office in San Diego for solar system engineering and marketing.

Kyocera’s PV modules offer an environmentally friendly renewable-energy solution by converting sunlight into electricity with no moving parts or emissions. The Tijuana facility will produce state-of-the-art PV modules ranging from 35 to 190 watts, with a planned production capacity of 35 megawatts per year. This facility will eventually produce all of the PV modules that Kyocera sells in the Americas.

“The partnership between Kyocera’s global solar group and our Tijuana maquiladora operations will help to make clean, reliable solar energy systems more widely available for businesses and homeowners throughout the Americas,” stated Rodney N. Lanthorne, director of Kyocera Corporation and president of Kyocera International, Inc. “This expansion reflects both the growing demand for solar energy systems and the success of our Mexican operations in providing high-quality, cost-effective manufacturing.”

In view of rising public acceptance of solar energy in the United States, led by California, Kyocera’s decision to build PV modules at its Tijuana facility represents a natural evolution.

Steve Hill, president of Kyocera Solar, Inc. (http://www.kyocerasolar.com), indicated that the company’s goal is to better serve its local markets. "This new assembly operation will support the vision expressed by both California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy to increase regional deployment of solar energy resources," Hill stated. "Solar energy now offers the most affordable and effective means of preserving our environment, promoting energy independence and relieving strain on overburdened utility infrastructures."

Kyocera Solar, Inc. will continue integrating PV systems out of its facility in Scottsdale, Arizona.

About Kyocera

Kyocera Solar, Inc., founded on the management philosophy that business should “coexist with nature and society,” is one of the world’s leading suppliers of environmentally sound, solar electric energy solutions. With operating headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz. and regional sales centers in Brazil and Australia, Kyocera Solar, Inc. serves thousands of customers in both developed and developing regions. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of San Diego-based Kyocera International, Inc., the North American headquarters and holding company for Kyoto, Japan-based Kyocera Corporation.

Kyocera Corporation (NYSE: KYO), parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining engineered ceramic materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera Corporation has become a leading supplier of solar energy systems, telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages, electronic components, cameras, laser printers, copiers and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2004, Kyocera Corporation's consolidated net sales totaled approximately US$11 billion (JP¥ 1,140,814 million) with net income of approximately US$655 million (JP¥ 68,086 million).