Fifth Third Signs Power Purchase Agreement to Achieve 100 Percent Renewable Power

• First Fortune 500 Company and first bank to contract for 100%
  renewable power through a single new project.
• Joins the global RE100 initiative and becomes the first member company
  to commit to 100% renewable energy through solar power.
• Contract will lead to approximately 1,000 jobs during construction and
  an approximated $200 million investment in North Carolina, a state
  within Fifth Third’s footprint.

CINCINNATI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fifth Third Bancorp announced that it has become the first Fortune 500
company and first bank to sign a power purchase agreement to achieve 100
percent renewable power through a single project. Furthermore, Fifth
Third becomes the first publicly-traded company to commit to purchase
100 percent renewable energy through solar power alone.

This power purchase agreement will lead to the construction of an
80-Megawatt (MW) solar project in North Carolina. The Hertford County
Aulander Holloman solar facility is an approximated $200 million project
that will be designed, built and owned by Mooresville, North
Carolina-based SunEnergy1. It will employ approximately 1,000 people
during construction, generate roughly 194,000 MWh/year of electricity
and help avoid 144,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
This is equivalent to the annual emissions from more than 21,600 homes
or 30,800 passenger vehicles. Additional environmental benefits are
explained in the 100
Percent Renewable Energy Infographic.

“This initiative affirms our bold commitment to advance environmental
stewardship on behalf of customers, employees and shareholders,” said
Greg Carmichael, chairman, president & CEO, Fifth Third Bancorp. “This
innovative project will reduce Fifth Third’s carbon footprint and
benefit the communities we serve. In addition, this project is expected
to increase earnings, demonstrating that companies can ‘do well by doing
good.’”

Kenny Habul, SunEnergy1 CEO, said, “SunEnergy1 pioneered the concept of
corporate and institutional power purchase agreements for solar power.
This is the first time that we have seen a corporation move to 100%
clean power by purchasing all of the output from one project. When
complete later this year, the Hertford County Aulander Holloman facility
will be one of the largest solar projects in the US; it will provide an
important economic investment in North Carolina; and it will lead to a
meaningful and measurable difference in carbon emissions. The Earth is
our vehicle through time so we congratulate Fifth Third for showing that
companies can cut their emissions and improve the health of our
environment today through solar power. We urge corporate America to
stand up and join the 100% club.”

Scott Hassell, Fifth Third’s vice president and director of
environmental sustainability, said, “Fifth Third has worked for years to
become more sustainable by using energy more efficiently and by lending
to the solar energy industry. Today we take great pride in becoming the
first Fortune 500 company and first bank to sign a long-term agreement
to buy as much solar power as we use in a year. And we are thrilled to
be on track to achieve our 100% goal in 2018, four years ahead of
schedule.”

To emphasize Fifth Third’s commitment to renewable energy, the Bank
joined both RE100, a corporate leadership initiative led by The Climate
Group in partnership with the Carbon Disclosure Project, and the
Business Renewables Center.

“We applaud Fifth Third for joining RE100 and for becoming the first
member company to contract for 100% solar power,” said Amy Davidsen,
North America executive director, The Climate Group, which leads the
RE100 initiative. “By achieving its 100% renewable energy goal four
years early, Fifth Third is demonstrating that there is a strong
business case for solar, that corporate leadership on renewables is
accelerating, and that faster greenhouse gas emissions cuts are
possible. This will inspire more companies to follow suit.”

“Fifth Third is stepping up to purchase 100 percent of the power from
this project, enabling a significant amount of new solar energy to be
added to the grid,” said Lily Donge, principal to the Business
Renewables Center. “As companies look for ways to accelerate the
transition to a cleaner future, Fifth Third has shown the way by signing
this power purchase agreement.”

Fifth Third was assisted in the selection and execution of the power
purchase agreement by Schneider Electric’s Energy & Sustainability
Services.

Visit www.53.com/sustainability
to learn more about how Sustainability can be done “a Fifth Third
better.”

About Fifth Third

Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company
headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. As of Dec. 31, 2017, the Company had
$142 billion in assets and operated 1,154 full-service Banking Centers
and 2,469 ATMs with Fifth Third branding in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana,
Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia and North
Carolina. In total, Fifth Third provides its customers with access to
more than 54,000 fee-free ATMs across the United States. Fifth Third
operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking,
Consumer Lending and Wealth & Asset Management. Fifth Third is among the
largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of Dec. 31, 2017, had $362
billion in assets under care, of which it managed $37 billion for
individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations through its
Trust and Registered Investment Advisory businesses. Investor
information and press
releases can be viewed at www.53.com.
Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq® Global Select Market
under the symbol “FITB.” Fifth Third Bank was established in 1858.
Member FDIC.

About SunEnergy1

SunEnergy1 is a top five U.S. solar developer with more than 800 MW
installed. The company has pioneered large-scale solar power on the East
Coast for nearly a decade, developing numerous record-breaking solar
projects in the region. SunEnergy1 is vertically integrated and controls
all stages of a solar project in-house, creating affordable, low risk
solar power for corporate, institutional and utility partners. The
company has the financial strength to own and maintain long-term
investments like a 5GW pipeline of solar-ready development sites, over
300 pieces of construction equipment, and 200+MW of owned solar farms.
For more information about SunEnergy1, please visit www.sunenergy1.com.

About RE100

Led by The
Climate Group in partnership with CDP, RE100 is
a collaborative initiative bringing together the world’s most
influential businesses committed to 100% renewable power. Renewables are
a smart business decision, providing greater control over energy costs
and a competitive edge, while helping companies to deliver on emission
reduction goals. RE100 members, including Global Fortune 500 companies,
have a total revenue of over US$2.75 trillion and operate in a diverse
range of sectors – from Information Technology and financial services to
pharmaceuticals and automobile manufacturing. Together, they represent
more than 160TWh of renewable electricity demand and send a powerful
signal to policymakers and investors to accelerate the transition to a
zero-emissions economy. Visit RE100.org
and follow us on Twitter @theRE100
#RE100.

About Business Renewables Center

The Rocky Mountain Institute's Business Renewables Center (BRC) is a
member-based platform that streamlines and accelerates corporate
purchasing of off-site, large-scale wind and solar energy. With over 200
members, including major corporations, leading renewable energy project
developers, and transaction intermediaries, the BRC embodies the
know-how of the industry. Today, BRC members account for over 7
gigawatts of renewable energy, and more than 95% of corporate renewables
deals to date have included a BRC member. With a goal to help
corporations procure 60 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030, the BRC
is at the leading edge of the fastest-growing sector of renewable energy
procurement. More information on BRC can be found at www.businessrenewables.org.

About Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric is leading the Digital Transformation of Energy
Management and Automation in Homes, Buildings, Data Centers,
Infrastructure and Industries. With global presence in over 100
countries, Schneider is the undisputable leader in Power Management –
Medium Voltage, Low Voltage and Secure Power, and in Automation Systems.
We provide integrated efficiency solutions, combining energy, automation
and software. In our global Ecosystem, we collaborate with the largest
Partner, Integrator and Developer Community on our Open Platform to
deliver real-time control and operational efficiency. We believe that
great people and partners make Schneider a great company and that our
commitment to Innovation, Diversity and Sustainability ensures that Life
Is On everywhere, for everyone and at every moment. www.schneider-electric.com/ess.

Contacts

Fifth Third Bank
Stacie Haas, 513-534-5113
513-534-NEWS
Stacie.Haas@53.com
or
SunEnergy1
Trevor
Hand, 704-662-0375
Press@sunenergy1.com