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Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc. News

Sunovia and EPIR Announce Unprecedented Breakthrough in the Manufacturing of Single Crystalline Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) on Silicon

SARASOTA, Fla., May 8 PRNewswire-FirstCall — Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: SUNV) and EPIR Technologies, Inc. (EPIR) are pleased to announce an unprecedented breakthrough in the manufacturing of Single Crystalline Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on silicon (Si), known as CdTe/Si. The companies have discovered a method to produce single crystalline CdTe/Si more rapidly than ever achieved before in any lab, even for a single isolated sample. The results have been independently validated and are readily reproducible with an extremely high yield and an unprecedented high crystal quality. This breakthrough paves the way for continued progress toward the large-scale manufacturing and commercialization of single crystalline epitaxial CdTe/Si, which the companies believe, as of today, has no competitors. This breakthrough again demonstrates the companies' continuing role as the leading developers of advanced night vision materials and ultra-high-efficiency solar cells based on CdTe/Si.

This breakthrough validates the first reproducible, high-yield growth of high-quality CdTe/Si suitable for commercial manufacturing. The companies believe that this development alone will greatly reduce the cost of high-efficiency CdTe-based solar cells and night vision detectors and cameras. This breakthrough also dramatically improved the crystal quality of the CdTe produced. It created improvements in the crystal quality of three-inch CdTe wafers more than twice as great as all of the improvements achieved over the last decade. In addition, the improvement in uniformity across the wafer is even more striking than the great improvement in crystal quality at the center of the wafer. This indicates a high likelihood of being able to move rapidly to the commercial large-scale manufacturing of even larger area CdTe/Si wafers, further lowering costs and speeding up production. This is of prodigious importance to the companies' solar cell manufacturing program because that program has single crystal CdTe/Si as its fundamental base for creating even more efficient cells.

As explained in previous Sunovia press releases, the development of high-efficiency infrared materials and devices and that of photovoltaic (PV) devices are very similar, except that infrared device manufacturing is much more precise and difficult.

"I am very pleased for the shareholders and investors of Sunovia and EPIR to announce this unprecedented breakthrough," stated Dr. Siva Sivananthan, President and CEO of EPIR Technologies, Inc. "This accomplishment is a direct reflection of the incredible talent at EPIR, and the 'team first' attitude we share with Sunovia," added Sivananthan.

About Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc. and EPIR Technologies, Inc.

Sunovia and EPIR own significant equity interests in one another. Sunovia is a Sarasota, Fla.-based renewable energy and energy conservation company that is working to develop one of the most advanced and cost-effective cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cell technologies ever created. Sunovia is also the owner of the proprietary EvoLucia(TM) LED lighting product line; the incredibly energy efficient LED lighting solutions have received CE, FCC, TUV and IP23 regulatory approvals, and are now being marketed worldwide.

Illinois-based EPIR Technologies, Inc. ( http://www.epir.com ) is one of the most advanced IR sensor and imaging companies in the world. EPIR's knowledge, experience and expertise in the growth of CdTe, HgCdTe and other II-VI semiconductors equal or exceed those of any other company in the world. Their prowess in this area is unmatched and has been endorsed by the award of unprecedented Congressional funds for the development of a manufacturing capability for CdTe on Si and the award of a patent for growing CdTe directly on a Si readout integrated circuit, as well as other patents. Although currently entering manufacturing in order to maximize the profit from its distinguished R&D, EPIR is committed to protecting its strong R&D and technology base and is maintaining close collaborative relationships with Department of Defense, industrial, and university laboratories. EPIR is now ramping up its manufacturing of CdTe on Si and is manufacturing high quality HgCdTe infrared material, using the CdTe on Si as a low cost substrate. In addition, EPIR has developed a portfolio of specialty sensors that it has begun to produce; including both a variety of IR sensors and a biosensor and decontamination system.

Perhaps most important, EPIR now has leveraged its great expertise in the manufacturing of II-VI semiconductor materials and optoelectronic devices to enter the rapidly expanding field of solar energy. The same techniques learned in the growth of military-grade infrared materials are now being successfully applied to the production of solar cells. High-sensitivity infrared materials produced at low cost by EPIR are being used to obtain high solar cell efficiencies at low cost. EPIR's immediate plans include the manufacturing of solar cells for space applications and concentrator systems.

Sunovia Energy's Web site is located at www.sunoviaenergy.com . EPIR Technologies, Inc.'s Web site is located at www.epir.com . More information about this exclusive partnership may be viewed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), available online at www.sec.gov.

The Sunovia Energy logo is a registered service mark of Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Sunovia Energy products and services are provided by Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc.

Forward-Looking Statement

Some of the statements made by Sunovia in this press release are forward-looking in nature. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Sunovia believes that its primary risk factors include, but are not limited to: development and maintenance of strategic acquisitions; domestic and international acceptance of our product lines; defending our intellectual property and proprietary rights; development of new products and services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; successfully completing commercial testing of new technologies and systems to support new products and services; and attracting and retaining qualified management and other personnel. Additional information concerning these and other important factors can be found within Sunovia's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this press release should be evaluated in light of these important factors.

SOURCE Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc.

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