SolarWorld AG / Miscellaneous
18.12.2007
Release of a Corporate-announcement, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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'Solar2World' projects reveal worldwide benefits of solar power
In the poorer regions of the globe, electrification is an essential basis
for fair development. 'Solar2World' is a cluster of activities by
SolarWorld AG, providing solar power modules for specific Solar2World
ventures which contribute to a positive regional development. These
projects focus mainly on Africa and demonstrate how help can be given
locally by simple means. Many aim to achieve decisive improvements in local
opportunities for education, human health and environmental quality. They
are a powerful illustration of beneficial applications for solar power.
SolarWorld CEO Frank H. Asbeck explains his commitment as follows: 'Two
billion people in the world have no access to the electricity grid, so to
obtain energy they consume billions of tonnes of kerosene, which is bad for
the environment and for health. Solar energy is often the only way these
people can have lighting, keep medicines cool, operate water pumps or power
a computer respectively a mobile phone. We at SolarWorld want our solar
power products to help these people assert their right to fair development.
Our Solar2World projects are a foundation stone in a worldwide solar
infrastructure.'
Here is a selection of Solar2World projects:
Malawi Solar power for an Aids orphanage:
SolarWorld AG is supporting an Aids orphanage in the African republic of
Malawi with eight Solar2World modules, each with an output of 160 watts
(total: 1.3 kWp). They are being installed in a remote village near Lake
Malawi. The village is home to more than 500 Aids orphans, children whose
parents have died of Aids, many of whom are themselves infected with the
immune deficiency.
The project partner here is the Liebenzeller Mission, a charitable
organisation based in Bad Liebenzell in the German Black Forest. It has
been instrumental in setting up a programme for the village to promote the
supply of electricity and water, medical assistance and youth training. The
solar power is used for lighting, for pumping water from deep wells, as a
basis for the water supply and to run fridges so that drugs can be properly
stored. Without it, fuel for the emergency generators would have had to be
fetched from hundreds of miles away.
This Solar2World project has drawn on weather data from the US space agency
NASA, which was used to calculate the target capacity for each module in
the project location. The rainy season is no problem daylight and battery
power combined are enough to ensure permanent operation.
Kenya Water treatment:
In Kenya SolarWorld AG is assisting two secondary schools with their plans
for drinking water. The schools are near Kisumu, a town about 250 miles
(400 km) north of Nairobi, and together they have over 2,000 pupils. Thanks
to solar operated water pumps, these school students will soon have clean,
healthy drinking water. The water they currently use from the surrounding
hills has been contaminated. The solar power unit has an output of 1.5 kWp.
Rwanda Solar power for a vocational training centre:
Our partners in Ntarama (Bugesera District), the aid organisation Grünhelme
set up by Cap Anamurs founder Rupert Neudeck, are using Solar2World
modules for a vocational training centre. Youngsters and adults can train
here as solarteurs, which opens up new career prospects for them. Rwanda
has adopted an ambitious solar programme, and solar energy training for
adults and young people plays a big part in it. The solar installation has
a capacity of 150 kWp and is designed to provide the centre with all its
power needs.
Mali Solar power for rural development and education:
Mali-Folkecenter Nyetaa is our partner for Solar2World projects in 14
villages in the south of Mali (Sikasso Region). Solar energy is bringing
light to these villages and powering radios, televisions, computers,
printers and telephones. In the past, electricity was provided by polluting
diesel generators. Meanwhile, in the west of Mali (Kayes Region), a solar
water pump project is being implemented in the village of Magadougou. One
of the plans for this sun-propelled water is a large vegetable garden
providing women in the community with new sources of income. The solar
power modules for these two Solar2World projects have a combined output of
14 kWp.
Congo Hospital project:
In Goma in the Eastern Congo (DRC) SolarWorld AG is assisting the local
hospital with a solar power supply. Our partner in the field is the Baptist
community, or 'Communauté Baptiste au Centre de lAfrique', while project
backing in Germany is provided by the United Protestant Mission (VEM) in
Wuppertal and 'Aktion Kleiner Prinz' in Warendorf. The region around Goma
suffered severely during the civil war in neighbouring Rwanda and the
Eastern Congo, and in addition to that was devastated in parts by an
eruption of the volcano Nyragongo. At present there is no secure energy
supply on the hospital grounds. The solar power is also needed for such
things as running refrigerators to keep medication cool and for lighting
the operating and delivery theatres. The solar power modules we provided
here have a total output of 2.8 kWp.
Uganda Computer training centre:
We are working with the German Development Service (DED) on solar backing
for a computer training centre at Lira in Northern Uganda. The teachers and
students here can acquire IT skills and use the Internet as a knowledge and
training medium. The north of Uganda has suffered from belligerent
conflicts in recent decades. This makes training centres especially
important, because they offer young people new prospects in life and
vocational opportunities. As the energy supplied by Ugandas national grid
is unreliable, solar power enables training centres to function
independently, without fear of local brown-outs that disrupt the running of
the computers. Moreover, the teachers and students are learning how solar
power works and how to use it. The capacity of the solar power modules we
provided here amounts to 3 kWp.
South Africa Jonathan Brauner National Park:
In Komsberg Wilderness National Park in South Africa (Karoo Region of the
Northern Cape) we have been helping a South African environment
organisation, the Wildlife For All Trust, in a project for solar water
pumps. Komsberg Wilderness National Park provides a habitat, among other
things, for some extremely rare plants and five different populations of
eagles. The solar water pumps are to help re-establish various varieties of
grass in the National Park that are particularly important to the survival
of its flora and fauna. The project has a solar output of 1 kWp.
About SolarWorld AG: The SolarWorld Group (ISIN: DE0005108401) is among the
top trio of the solar power industry worldwide. The group is dedicated
exclusively to the core business of solar energy, combining all stages of
the solar value chain, from the raw material silicon to turn-key solar
power plants. The company operates production facilities in Germany, Sweden
and the USA. In California the largest production site in the USA for solar
modules and in Oregon the largest production site in the USA for solar
wafers and cells are being created. In Freiberg in Saxony the group
operates one of the worlds most advanced integrated solar production
facilities. Among the currently most important sales markets are Germany,
the USA and in the rest of Europe especially Spain. Sales offices in
Germany, Spain, California, South Africa and Singapore service the
international solar markets. In addition to on-grid solar power products
the group increasingly distributes rural solar power solutions
internationally that can make an important contribution to the sustainable
economic development of rural regions.
After the IPO at the end of 1999, the company developed within a few years
into one of the largest fully integrated solar technology groups. At the
end of the third quarter of 2007 some 1,969 people were working for the
group. At the stock exchange SolarWorld AG is listed among others in the
technology index TecDAX, in the Öko-DAX, in the Dow Jones STOXX 600, in the
international MSCI Index as well as in the sustainability indices DAXglobal
Alternative Energy and NAI.
Over and above this SolarWorld AG is getting involved at the social policy
level in order to push ahead the principle of sustainability and to sharpen
public awareness of resource and climate protection.
Moreover, SolarWorld is involved at the sociopolitical level in order to
further the sustainability notion and raise awareness for climate and
resources protection.
Contact:
SolarWorld AG Investor Relations / Marketing Communications,
Tel.-No.: +49 228 55920 -470; Fax-No.: +49 228 55920-9470,
E-mail: placement@solarworld.de
Internet: www.solarworld.de
DGAP 18.12.2007
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Language: English
Issuer: SolarWorld AG
Kurt-Schumacher-Straße 12-14
53113 Bonn
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)228 - 559 20 470
Fax: +49 (0)228 - 559 20 99
E-mail: placement@solarworld.de
Internet: www.solarworld.de
ISIN: DE0005108401
WKN: 510840
Indices: TecDAX
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard), Düsseldorf;
Freiverkehr in Berlin, München, Hamburg, Stuttgart;
Terminbörse EUREX
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DGAP-News: SolarWorld AG: Sun for the South
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