News

American Lung Association of California to Honor KYOCERA Mexicana President Saul Garcia

ALAC's "Clean Air Circle" recognizes leadership in solar energy manufacturing

San Diego, CA – March 31, 2008 – Saul Garcia, president of Kyocera Mexicana, S.A. de C.V. in Tijuana, Mexico, will be honored by the American Lung Association of California (ALAC) for promoting the clean-air benefits of solar energy. Garcia will join ALAC’s “Clean Air Circle” during the organization’s second annual “Evening in the Sky” benefit event, Saturday, April 5, 6:00 p.m., at the Omni Hotel in San Diego.

Garcia, the first Mexican national to serve as president of a Japanese maquiladora, leads one of the largest solar module manufacturing facilities in Mexico. In the fall of 2008, he will inaugurate Kyocera’s second solar-module manufacturing plant in Tijuana, making the Baja California / San Diego region an important hub in North America’s solar energy industry.

Kyocera’s historic commitment to environmental preservation and sustainable growth includes 33 years of developing solar energy products and technologies. Solar energy is now Kyocera’s fastest-growing business worldwide; the company plans to more than double its solar-cell production capacity, to 500 megawatts per year, by 2011.  Under Garcia’s leadership, the expanded Tijuana facility will ultimately hold about 30% of the company’s global solar module production.

Kyocera’s expanded solar energy manufacturing will help counteract the negative effects of electricity generated by fossil fuels ― including carbon dioxide (CO2), a suspected contributor to global warming; nitrous oxide, which has been linked to the destruction of the Earth’s ozone layer; and sulfur dioxide, the principal contributor to acid rain.

Trees are often used as a metric to measure the environmental impact of solar energy because both trees and solar modules can help reduce atmospheric CO2. According to EPA data, producing 500 megawatts of solar modules annually could have the environmental impact of adding 144 square miles of forest to the Earth every year. As another metric, the 500-megawatt annual production capacity would allow Kyocera to build complete 3.5-kilowatt solar electric systems for 142,800 new homes each year.

Garcia also serves as president of the Association of the Maquiladora Industry and Export of Tijuana, A.C., and as professor of administration sciences in the postgraduate school of the university Instituto Tecnológico de Tijuana.
In addition to Garcia, ALAC “Clean Air Circle” honorees include David S. Casey Jr., a senior partner with Casey Gerry Schenk Francavilla Blatt & Penfield, a San Diego-based law firm; and Alan Ball, director of business services at Qualcomm Incorporated. Each has made significant contributions to environmental preservation and therefore played a significant role in the fight against lung disease.

About the American Lung Association of California

Lung disease, including asthma, emphysema, and lung cancer, is the third leading cause of death in America, and the American Lung Association of California (ALAC) is working statewide to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. The “Evening in the Sky” event will benefit ALAC programs, research and advocacy. To help sponsor the event, make a reservation or a donation, please call (619) 683-8641 or visit www.eveninginthesky.com .

About Kyocera

Kyocera Mexicana, S.A. de C.V. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of San Diego-based Kyocera International, Inc., Kyocera’s North American headquarters and holding company.

Kyocera Corporation (NYSE: KYO / http://www.kyocera.com), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining these engineered 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, laser printers, copiers and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2007, the company’s net sales totaled 1.28 trillion yen (approximately $10.8 billion).

¹Based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Power Profile and eGrid calculations.