October 2011

SolarWorld GT started in Australia to circle the world

Driven by the power of the sun alone, the solar-powered car SolarWorld GT set out in Adelaide/Australia to go once around the world on October 16, 2011. In a year’s time, the SolarWorld GT is expected back in Australia. For the first time in the history of the motor car, a vehicle will travel once around the entire globe just with the help of an electric motor that is independent in energy terms. The SolarWorld GT will be propelled by solar power. The car with integrated solar cells was developed by SolarWorld AG, a leading supplier of solar power products, in conjunction with the Bochum University of Applied Sciences. The two-seater has the dimensions of a conventional passenger car. The circumnavigation of our planet is designed to demonstrate how efficient and suitable for everyday driving sustainable mobility is under real-life conditions.

SolarWorld AG receives awards for good reporting

The current annual report of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) for Germany, released on October 17, 2011, highlights SolarWorld AG as the “Sector Leader“ among renewable energies. Within the framework of the Carbon Disclosure Project, more than 551 institutional investors worldwide are cooperating to create more transparency concerning the emission of greenhouse gases that damage the climate. To this end, the Carbon Disclosure Project collects data from companies once a year on a voluntary basis concerning their CO2 emissions as well as their strategies and concrete measures for climate protection. In comparison to other companies of the renewable energy industry, SolarWorld AG disclosed its information in the most detailed fashion and therefore occupies the top spot.

For the high quality of its financial reporting, SolarWorld AG again received an accolade in this year’s “Best Annual Reports” competition by Manager Magazin. In the overall ranking, the group occupied tenth place among the 160 most important companies listed in the DAX, MDAX, SDAX and TecDAX. With its integrated financial and sustainability reporting, which includes ecological and social key performance indicators, SolarWorld AG was again able to place itself ahead of all other companies in the renewable energies sector.

SolarWorld brings action in the U.S. against cheap imports from China

On October 19, 2011, the U.S. subsidiary of the SolarWorld Group, SolarWorld Industries America Inc., supported by a group of additional U.S. manufacturers of solar power technology, started a petition before the government in Washington, D.C., against the growing flood of cheap imports from China. In doing so, they are challenging the state-subsidized Chinese solar industry that for some time has been inundating the U.S. market with solar cells and panels at dumped prices to systematically secure a higher market share. This action against unfair trade practices is one of the largest against China in the United States, and it is the first in the field of renewable energy worldwide.

September 2011

SolarWorld AG implements transformation measures in the U.S. and Germany

In the United States, SolarWorld is concentrating production activities on its location at Hillsboro, Ore. At the group’s largest location outside Germany, SolarWorld AG is already operating two solar power module production lines. The module production at Camarillo, Calif. is now to be discontinued for the time being and completely pooled at Hillsboro. As a result of this merger at a fully integrated location, SolarWorld AG will tap synergy potentials and cut production costs.

In Germany, SolarWorld at the Freiberg/Saxony location has a state-of-the-art production facility for solar wafers. Older parts of the production facilities can thus be taken out of service. With this transformation, SolarWorld will achieve a substantial cost reduction as well as an increase of productivity at the German site.

Dr. Bertrand Piccard and the Solar Impulse Team Receive SolarWorld Einstein Award

On September 5, 2011, SolarWorld AG presented the SolarWorld Einstein Award to the team around Dr. Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg for the development of the solar aircraft Solar Impulse that can fly day and night without fuel. The first night flight and a flight within Europe have already been completed successfully. The next milestone of the project will be a flight around the world.

The 2011 SolarWorld Junior Einstein Award goes to the Freiburg physicist Paul Gundel. The 30-year-old described new microscopic measuring methods for the characterization of silicon and solar cells in his thesis written at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. Properties crucial to solar cell like electron lifetime or mechanical stresses can now be measured with a significantly higher level of accuracy.

SolarWorld establishes Joint Venture SolarCycle GmbH

SolarWorld AG, pioneer of solar module recycling, establishes a new Joint Venture for the production of metal products and other valuable materials that are made from recycled solar modules. The partners in this newly founded company in addition to SolarWorld AG itself are also the Preiss-Daimler Chemical Park as well as other companies. SolarWorld AG holds a 24 percent stake in SolarCycle GmbH. Headquarters of the company will be located in the Bitterfeld/Wolfen Chemical Park in Sachsen-Anhalt.

July 2011

Colette Rückert-Hennen new on SolarWorld AG Management Board

SolarWorld AG has expanded its Management Board. Effective July 1, 2011, the Supervisory Board appointed Colette Rückert-Hennen as a new member of the Management Board in the function of Chief Human Resources and Brand Officer. The lawyer will take over responsibility for these areas by the side of her four Management Board colleagues. She is a recognized expert and has long years of experience in international management.

Dr.-Ing. E. h. Frank Asbeck, Chairman and CEO of SolarWorld AG: “With Colette Rückert-Hennen, the right woman joins SolarWorld at the right time. Our employees and the SolarWorld brand are our most important assets and our competitive advantages for our future international corporate success. With her wealth of experience and her personality, she will help us make progress in these areas.“

SolarWorld AG floats € 150 million bond

SolarWorld AG has strengthened its position and has successfully issued a bond with a volume of € 150 million. Philipp Koecke, CFO of SolarWorld AG: “We are happy that we again managed to gain the trust of the capital market and to float a bond successfully. It forms another building block for the financing of the international growth of the company.“

June 2011

SolarWorld AG focuses on its production sites in Germany and the United States

SolarWorld AG focuses in its further growth on its production sites in Germany and the United States. Its shares in the Joint Venture production site in South Korea were sold at a profit on June 29, 2011. Thus, the German manufacturer of premium solar power modules has specifically decided in favor of production at locations with the highest quality, environmental and social standards.

May 2011

SolarWorld AG pays back corporate bond according to schedule

Seven years after the start of its issue on May 2, 2004, the maturity period of a corporate bond floated by SolarWorld AG ends today. At the time in 2004, the group offered bearer bonds with an annual interest rate of seven percent. The volume amounted to € 25 million, which the company is now paying back to investors as scheduled.

The bond produced a safe return for investors, and with its help SolarWorld AG was in a position to broaden its capital base and consistently reach its growth objectives in a strongly expanding market environment.

March 2011

SolarWorld receives prospecting rights for lithium

SolarWorld AG is allowed to prospect for lithium in Germany. The Saxon State Minister for Economic Affairs, Sven Morlok, presented the official approval document to the Chairman and CEO of SolarWorld AG, Dr.-Ing. E.h. Frank Asbeck at Altenberg-Zinnwald near the German-Czech border today. This means the solar technology group can now start prospecting in the Eastern part of the Erzgebirge mountains for this raw material, which is mainly used in modern batteries for the storage of solar power. SolarWorld is expecting an increasing demand for lithium. The German solar technology group will investigate the deposits within the next few months in cooperation with the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (TUBAF). As a university dealing with resources, TUBAF also estimates the reaches of rare mineral resources and performs research into new technologies for lithium-ion batteries. The application for the prospecting rights of lithium was filed together with the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology with the Superior Mining Authority of Saxony on November 24, 2010. The Saxony deposits are among the ten largest lithium deposits worldwide. The alkali metal lithium is used as an anode in the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that are needed for electric cars, laptops and solar batteries.

SolarWorld AG Continues International Growth

The worldwide leader in crystalline solar power technology managed to expand its business successfully and sustainably in 2010. SolarWorld AG confirmed and further detailed its provisionally reported figures: In 2010, the group increased its shipments of wafers and solar power modules by 42 percent to 819 (2009: 578) MW and as a result considerably boosted its revenue. This went up by 28.8 percent over the previous year or by € 292.1 million to € 1,304.7m (2009: € 1,012.6m). Thus, SolarWorld AG has met its forecast of substantially exceeding the billion-euro mark in revenue. Groupwide earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) grew in fiscal year 2010 by 26.1 percent and € 40.0 million to € 192.8m (2009: € 152.8m). In spite of the renewed industry-wide decline in prices, SolarWorld AG managed to keep its EBIT margin constant. It amounted to 14.8 (2009: 15.1) percent. Consolidated profits went up in 2010 by € 28.3 million, or 48.0 percent, to € 87.3m (2009: € 59.0m). Because of the sound business development, the Management Board and the Supervisory Board will propose a dividend increase to € 0.19 (2009: € 0.16) at the next Annual General Meeting. The foreign sales quota in 2010 increased by 14 percentage points to 59 (2009: 45) percent. The group massively increased its production capacities along the entire value chain at its international locations in Germany and the U.S., all according to schedule. In the area of solar power module production, for example, the company boosted its capacities groupwide from 500 to 940 MW in 2010. All in all, the group invested € 216.1 million in intangible assets and tangible fixed assets in fiscal year 2010. In 2011, SolarWorld AG will continue its capacity expansion in module production to reach 1,400 (2010: 940) MW so that the group can place larger product volumes in the final customer business. On the whole, the group is expecting a growth rate in its shipments of more than 30 percent. For the United States, SolarWorld even considers it possible to more than double its sales – thanks to the logistical advantages of local production and already established sales and distribution networks. Within the next two years, the foreign quota is to be further enhanced to 75 percent. In 2011, the group wants to exceed last year’s revenue of € 1.3 billion.

February 2011

SolarWorld AG with increase of revenue by 29 percent to € 1.3bn in 2010

As forecasted, SolarWorld AG increased the sales revenue for Fiscal Year 2010 substantially. According to provisional calculations, the group generated revenues in Fiscal Year 2010 of € 1,305 (2009: 1,013) million. Shipments of wafers and solar modules were increased by 42 percent to 819 (2009: 578) MW. The operating result (EBIT) amounted to € 193 (2009: 153) million. The groupwide EBIT margin stood at 15 (2009: 15) percent. Consolidated profits increased in Fiscal Year 2010 to € 89 (2009: 59) million. Due to the sound business development, the Management Board will, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, propose to the Annual General Meeting on 24 May 2011 a dividend increased to 19 (2009: 16) Eurocent per dividend-bearing share certificate. Thus, the shareholders of SolarWorld AG will participate in the success of the company for the eleventh year in succession.

SolarWorld presents mobile charging device SunCharger

In February SolarWorld AG will present the solar charging device SunCharger at one of the world’s largest mobile radio exhibitions. With this new and aesthetically appealing product the solar power group makes it possible to recharge mobile telephones reliably – also far away from the mains. The SunCharger combines the mains unit, the rechargeable battery and the solar cell rolled into one and offers three possibilities of charging the mobile phone: The phone either draws the electricity from the mains, gets the stored energy from the battery or is directly charged by solar power. With this SunCharger SolarWorld AG expands its product range for small everyday applications thus striving for higher brand awareness in additional target groups.

SolarWorld AG reaches 93.71 percent of voting rights in take-over offer to Solarparc AG shareholders

The take-over offer of SolarWorld AG to the shareholders of Solarparc AG was accepted for and on behalf of 3,914,116 shares by the end of the final acceptance period on February 17, 2011 at 24:00 hrs. As a result, the share of voting rights held by SolarWorld AG in Solarparc AG amounts to a total of some 93.71 percent after completion of the share swap. Because of the gratifying and unexpectedly great response to the take-over offer, SolarWorld AG will now implement the planned integration of Solarparc AG into the SolarWorld Group. To this end, SolarWorld AG will execute the complete withdrawal of Solarparc AG from the stock exchange and conversion into a GmbH (Limited Liability Company).