Q-Cells to complete 60 megawatt project for Starwood Energy Group in North America

Q-Cells North America, a global leader in designing, building and managing financially sustainable solar photovoltaic (PV) solutions, has been issued a full notice to proceed with construction activities of a 10 Megawatt project as final part of a combined 60 Megawatt project in Ontario, Canada. Q-Cells will implement this project on a turn–key basis for Starwood Energy Group Global, LLC, a private investment firm focused on energy infrastructure projects.

Investor of the project is Starwood SSM3, an affiliate of Starwood Energy Group Global and builds on the success of Starwood SSM1, a 20MW AC project that came online in October 2010, and Starwood SSM2, a 30MW AC project expected to be completed during Q3 2011. The solar plant Starwood SSM3 is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2011. Q-Cells acts as prime contractor as the company already did in case of the two preceding projects and on top of that delivers operations and maintenance services post-completion. The combined 60 MW AC project, when complete, will be the second largest in North America and among the largest in the world.

Starwood SSM3, once built, will provide power for up to 4,000 Ontario homes, generating its power during the middle of the day, a time of highest demand on the local power grid. The facility will also reduce yearly carbon emissions by an amount equivalent to displacing 1,900 cars and light trucks each driving 12,000 miles per year or to planting more than eight million trees in Ontario's forests.

"Our winning partnership with Starwood in Sault Ste. Marie exemplifies Q-Cells' unique offering in blending its leading processes with local partnerships for the utility-scale market," said Marc van Gerven, Managing Director of Q-Cells North America. "We look forward to rolling out our market strategy and offering for the commercial and residential markets with the same rate of success."

"We are grateful to Q-Cells for their continued hard work on these projects. We look forward to pursuing similar investments in the Ontario renewable energy sector in the near future and applaud the strong community and provincial support towards realizing a new green energy economy in Ontario," said Himanshu Saxena, Senior Vice President of Starwood Energy.

About Q-Cells North America

Q-Cells North America, part of Q-Cells SE, designs, builds and manages financially sustainable solar photovoltaic (PV) solutions. The company brings a decade of global leadership in solar PV to North America, combining best-of-world technology, processes and partnerships to deliver utility-grade solar PV solutions customized for local energy markets. Q-Cells North America offers the full spectrum of PV solutions--from the core technology of cells and modules to power plant development, design, construction, operations and maintenance. With proven capabilities across the solar value chain, Q-Cells North America minimizes uncertainty and risk, and helps customers achieve a higher return on their investment in solar energy. For more information about Q-Cells North America, please visit www.q-cells.com.