Asahi Glass | Press Release

Asahi Glass Starts Import Sale of "STOPSOL",
Reflective Solar Control Glass for Architectural Use
Produced by and under the Technology of its
Overseas Group Companies
( February 22, 2001 )

Press Contact :
Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.
Mr.Kenichi Imoto
Director,
Corporate Communications Div.
Phone : +81-3-3218-5519
F a x : +81-3-3201-5390

Product Contact :
Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.
Customer Center
Flat Glass & Construction
Materials General Div.
Phone : +81-3-5610-0253
F a x : +81-3-5610-0254

Tokyo, JAPAN - Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. (AGC, Head Office: Tokyo, President: Shinya Ishizu) announced today that it started import sale of "STOPSOL", the reflective solar control glass mainly used for glazing on buildings, which is produced by PT Asahimas Flat Glass Tbk (AMG, AGC's affiliated company, Head Office: Indonesia) under the technology of Glaverbel S.A. (GVB, AGC's subsidiary, Head Office: Belgium).

"STOPSOL" is a reflective solar control glass produced by coating transparent metal layer on one side of the float glass in its production process on line, and was developed and has been sold by GVB as an energy saving glass to enhance the air conditioning performance. "STOPSOL" has been sold for more than 15 years enjoying a good reputation in the world wide markets including Europe, Asia and Middle East as well. It is currently produced in Moustier plant of GVB (Belgium), Glaverbel Czech A.S. and Jakarta plant of AMG. AGC started procurement from AMG in order to expand its variety of reflective solar control glass products.

AGC has been selling other reflective solar control glass for architectural use namely "SUNLUX" with high heat reflecting performance and "SUNCUT SIGMA" with relatively high visible light transmittance, and "STOPSOL" shows an intermediate performance of the both featured with dark bluish raw glass substrate that had not been sold in Japan. AGC sells "CLASSIC" coating which gives a calm image and "SUPERSILVER" coating with a vivid appearance, of 6mm and 8mm each, overall 4 types of lineup. Blue is a popular color for the reflective solar control glass, and "STOPSOL" wearing dark bluish tone gives a different image from the conventional reflective solar control glass in light bluish tone, and will be able to meet the need of architects to express wide variety of design.

Japanese domestic market size of the reflective solar control glass is approximately 4 billion yen and annual sales of "STOPSOL" is targeted at 200 million yen in 2001.

While the import sale of "STOPSOL" is AGC's first trial to expand its product lineup with its overseas affiliate's product, there are other internationally popular glass products which have not yet been introduced into Japanese market. AGC intends to continue expanding variety of flat glass products through the production and sale at the optimum locations fully utilizing its global flat glass business formation having group companies in Europe, North America and Asia.

< For reference >

1. "STOPSOL" Product Lineup

	Classic Dark Blue 6mm	Classic Dark Blue 8mm	Supersilver Dark Blue 6mm	Supersilver Dark Blue 8mm
Maximum Size (mm)	3210 x 2250	3210 x 2250	3210 x 2250	3210 x 2250
Visible Light Transmission (%)	25.4	21.1	41.1	35.6
Visible Light Reflection (%)	33.1	34.1	34.3	31.9
Reflected Color Tone	Dark Blue	Dark Blue	Dark Blue	Dark Blue
Material Design Price*(yen/m²)	12,100	14,300	13,200	15,400

(* Material Design Price is a material price (not including tax) to be used by construction design firms to estimate the construction cost, and it does not include installation or glazing expense.)

Existing Products	Sunlux (TS20, 6mm)	Suncut Sigma (Blue, 6mm)
- Visible Light Transmission (%)	20.2	53.8
- Visible Light Reflection (%)	22.0	25.1

2. Glaverbel

	1) Company Name	Glaverbel S.A.
	2) Headquarters	Brussels (Belgium)
	3) Main Plant:	Belgium, Holland, Czech, France, Italy, Spain, Russia
	4) President:	Luc Willame
	5) Capital:	8,041 million BEF
	6) Shareholder:	Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. (55.04%), Public (35.39%)
	7) Sales Amount:	60,961 million BEF (1999)
	8) Main Product:	Float Glass, Insulating Glass, Mirror, Automotive Safety Glass
	9) Incorporation:	1961 (Invested by AGC in 1981)
	10) Employees:	Approx. 13,000 (Consolidated basis)

3. Asahimas Flat Glass

	1) Company Name	PT Asahimas Flat Glass Tbk
	2) Headquarters	Jakarta (Indonesia)
	3) Main Plant:	Jakarta, Surabaya (Indonesia)
	4) President:	Mitsuru Jibiki (AGC's employee)
	5) Capital:	217 Billion Rp.
	6) Shareholder:	Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. (39.69%), PT Rodamas (39.69%), Public (20.62%)
	7) Sales Amount:	Approx. 786,478 million Rp. (1999)
	8) Main Product:	Float Glass, Figured Glass, Heat Reflective Glass, Mirror, Automotive Safety Glass
	9) Incorporation:	1972
	10) Employees:	Approx. 2,700