IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 21, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq:MSCC), a leading manufacturer of analog mixed signal integrated circuits and high reliability semiconductors, today announced that it is a sponsor of the Umicore Belgian Solar Team in the tenth World Solar Challenge event in Australia from October 24 through October 31, 2009. Participants will compete on a 3,000-kilometer course from Darwin to Adelaide, in cars fueled only by solar energy.
A bronze-level sponsor of the Umicore Belgian team, Microsemi was selected to provide critical solar bypass diodes for power-generation panels in the team's car, an application not unlike how the company's products are used in satellite solar panels.
The bypass diodes are part of Microsemi's extensive portfolio of energy-management products for applications in alternative energy, oil and gas exploration, electric vehicles, energy saving (including intelligent lighting control), and plasma generation for semiconductor, solar cell, LCD panel, and industrial glass manufacturing. In addition to its bypass diodes for satellite solar panels, Microsemi also offers a variety of other solar products including bypass integrated circuits and power modules for solar inverters.
"Microsemi is pleased to be supporting the Belgian Solar Vehicle Team in its bid to better its impressive second place finish in the 2007 championships," said Bertho Simons, director of Microsemi's European solar program. "We are gratified to be showcased alongside other technologies that the team has carefully selected from among the world's top providers. We share the team's goal of demonstrating innovation excellence while raising energy awareness, and we appreciate this opportunity to highlight our commitment to delivering high-quality, high-performance solar and other energy products and technologies for a cleaner, greener world."
The Umicore Belgian Solar Team consists of 15 individuals including engineering students and graduates of the Group T international university in Leuven, Belgium. The team, which will be competing for the third time in the biennial World Solar Challenge against the world's top technical universities, took second place in the 2007 competition with an average speed 88.05 Km/h. The competition is generally considered to be the ultimate challenge for solar car builders. The team will be entered in the prestigious Challenge Class race, in which each car must be personally designed -- a rigorous test of professionalism, innovation and ingenuity.
About the World Solar Challenge
The biennial World Solar Challenge is part of the Global Green Challenge, which is an evolution of the historic and very successful World Solar Challenge that has been staged since 1987. The Global Green Challenge combines the technical brilliance of the Solar Cars with the practical results of low emission vehicles destined to the marketplace and individually tested against the harshness of the Australian Environment. In recent years the event has featured a demonstration of practical technology. The practical technologies aspect has come of age and will be presented as a competition with measurable results as an Eco Challenge for a range of low emission and alternative fuel supply vehicles. The Global Green Challenge is organized by the South Australian Motorsport Board and supported by the South Australian and Northern Territory Governments. Major sponsors are the South Australian Tourism Commission and Internode, one of Australia's foremost Internet Service Providers. For more information about the World Solar Challenge and Global Green Challenge, go to: http://www.globalgreenchallenge.com.au/.
About Microsemi
Microsemi Corporation, with corporate headquarters in Irvine, California, is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of high performance analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits and high reliability semiconductors. The company's semiconductors manage and control or regulate power, protect against transient voltage spikes and transmit, receive and amplify signals.
Microsemi's products include individual components as well as integrated circuit solutions that enhance customer designs by improving performance and reliability, battery optimization, reducing size or protecting circuits. The principal markets the company serves include implanted medical, defense/aerospace and satellite, notebook computers, monitors and LCD TVs, automotive and mobile connectivity applications. More information may be obtained by contacting the company directly or by visiting its website at http://www.microsemi.com.
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"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Any statements set forth in this news release that are not entirely historical and factual in nature, including without limitation statements concerning Microsemi's sponsorship of the Umicore Belgian Solar Team in the tenth World Solar Challenge event in Australia, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, such factors as rapidly changing technology and product obsolescence, potential cost increases, variations in customer order preferences, weakness or competitive pricing environment of the marketplace, uncertain demand for and acceptance of the company's products, adverse circumstances in any of our end markets, results of in-process or planned development or marketing and promotional campaigns, difficulties foreseeing future demand, potential non-realization of expected orders or non-realization of backlog, product returns, product liability, and other potential unexpected business and economic conditions or adverse changes in current or expected industry conditions, difficulties and costs of protecting patents and other proprietary rights, inventory obsolescence and difficulties regarding customer qualification of products. In addition to these factors and any other factors mentioned elsewhere in this news release, the reader should refer as well to the factors, uncertainties or risks identified in the company's most recent Form 10-K and all subsequent Form 10-Q reports filed by Microsemi with the SEC. Additional risk factors may be identified from time to time in Microsemi's future filings. The forward-looking statements included in this release speak only as of the date hereof, and Microsemi does not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.