• Laser marking of solar cells ensures end-to-end tracking across all process steps
• Innovative product portfolio offers application-orientated photovoltaic solutions

Valencia, 6 September 2010 – At the 25th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) from September 6th – 9th, 2010, Q-Cells SE (QCE; ISIN DE0005558662), one of the largest providers of photovoltaic solutions, will showcase its innovative portfolio along with a new process designed to increase quality in the field of photovoltaics. At the exhibition stand (L2/H1/B6), solar industry visitors will find not only a range of solar cells, modules and systems, but also be able to view a laser marking demonstration designed to give an insight into this innovation and its benefits. This technology enables each individual solar cell to be identified and assigned to the corresponding production step. “The laser marking of solar cells is an ideal way to ensure quality and optimize processes”, says Hans-Gerd Füchtenkort, CSO of Q-Cells SE. “This underlines our high quality standards as a premium provider in the solar photovoltaic market.” more ...

• Sales at € 333.5 million in first quarter up 44 % on previous quarter
• Operative EBIT positive: € 27.1 million in second quarter and € 17.9 million in first half of year
• Nedim Cen appointed CEO for five years

Bitterfeld-Wolfen, 12 August 2010 – Q-Cells SE (QCE; ISIN DE0005558662) has achieved further significant successes in the second quarter of 2010 within its restructuring and strategic transformation which are reflected in a positive development of sales and EBIT figures. Total production volume of solar cells and thin-film modules was around 238 megawatts-peak (MWp) in the second quarter and thus 37 % higher than in the first quarter (174 MWp); the figure for the first half of 2010 amounts to 412 MWp. A strong factor contributing to this growth included the high rise in production volume at Q-Cells’ Malaysian solar cell factory, which almost doubled its production output as against the previous quarter to nearly 100 MWp. Thin-film module production at the Thalheim location also virtually doubled from a low level to around 17 MWp. Sales in the first half of the year amounted to € 565.7 million with the company generating € 333.5 million in the second quarter. This marks an increase of 144 % on the same quarter of the previous year and growth of 44 % as against the first quarter of 2010. For the first time, Q-Cells is reporting significant sales in its newly launched solar module business. Deliveries of crystalline modules amounted to 44 MWp in the second quarter.

Operative EBIT for the second quarter was € 27.1 million (H1 2010: € 17.9 million). Thus, one of the key goals of the restructuring programme – operative profitability in the second quarter of 2010 – has been achieved. Ramp-up costs for production in Malaysia and thin-film module production in Germany amounted to around € 4 million in the past quarter. These ramp-up losses were therefore reduced significantly as against the previous quarter (Q1 2010: € 9 million).

The result for the period in the second quarter was € 35.2 million, producing a figure for the first half of the year of € 11.2 million including the loss in the first quarter. Continuing operations accounted for € 37.0 million in the second quarter and € 27.4 million in the first half of the year (discontinued operations in Q2: € 1.8 million; H1: € 38.6 million).

Management Board team complete – Nedim Cen remains CEO

The Supervisory Board of Q-Cells SE has named Nedim Cen as CEO of Q-Cells SE for the next five years with effect of 1 September 2010. Nedim Cen, so far Managing Director at restructuring advisor Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), had taken on the CFO position at Q-Cells SE back in June 2009 as well as the CEO position in March 2010 on an interim basis. He has since successfully led the restructuring of the company and will now as CEO continue the strategic transformation of Q-Cells. The position of CFO has been taken on by Marion Helmes since July 2010. Hans-Gerd Füchtenkort (Marketing & Sales) and Gerhard Rauter (Operations & Technology) complete the team of the Management Board.

“We are very pleased that Dr. Nedim Cen has agreed to continue his work with Q-Cells. He has so far done an excellent job with restructuring and transforming the company,” said Karlheinz Hornung, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Q-Cells SE. “The new strategy to develop Q-Cells into a provider of photovoltaic solutions is on its way. With the launch of solar modules we have taken the first successful step which is reflected in a positive operative result for the second quarter 2010. Yet, the way ahead is still strewn with obstacles which I am certain Nedim Cen, the Management Board and the whole Q-Cells team will handle appropriately.”...more

Bitterfeld-Wolfen, 11 August 2010 – The Supervisory Board of Q-Cells SE (QCE; ISIN DE0005558662) has named Nedim Cen as CEO of Q-Cells SE for the next five years. Nedim Cen, so far Managing Director at restructuring advisor Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), had taken on the CFO position at Q-Cells SE back in June 2009 as well as the CEO position in March 2010 on an interim basis. He has since successfully led the restructuring and transformation of the company and will now remain in office on the basis of a direct contract with Q-Cells SE. The position of CFO has been taken on by Marion Helmes since July 2010.

“We are very pleased that Dr. Nedim Cen has agreed to continue his work with Q-Cells. He has so far done an excellent job with restructuring and transforming the company,” said Karlheinz Hornung, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Q-Cells SE. “The new strategy to develop Q-Cells into a provider of photovoltaic solutions is on its way. With the launch of solar modules we have taken the first successful step which is reflected in a positive operative result for the second quarter 2010. Yet, the way ahead is still strewn with obstacles which I am certain Nedim Cen, the Management Board and the whole Q-Cells team will handle appropriately.”

• Investor HEP Kapital GmbH, general contractor Q-Cells SE and thermovolt AG celebrate inauguration of solar park in Spremberg, Brandenburg
• 24,000 solar modules will save 4,400 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year and supply 1,900 households with clean power

Spremberg, 6 August 2010 – Q-Cells SE installed a solar power station on behalf of the investment company HEP Kapital and in partnership with thermovolt AG with a power capacity of 5.3 Megawattpeak (MWp) on a 19-hectare brownfield site close to Spremberg in the federal state of Brandenburg, Germany. At today's (Friday's) ceremony, the investor and general contractor are inaugurating the solar park in the presence of Ralf Christoffers, Brandenburg's minister for the economy and European affairs, and of Dr. Klaus-Peter Schulze, the mayor of Spremberg. Around EUR 16 million in total has been invested in the solar power station, whose construction was initiated in mid-June. With just under 24,000 crystalline solar modules, the facility will supply 1,900 households with power and in the process save 4,400 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

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• Three-day recruitment event for students, graduates and job starters with natural sciences and engineering degrees
• Q-Cells endows professorship for Photovoltaics at University in Halle-Wittenberg

Bitterfeld-Wolfen, 2 August 2010 – Q-Cells SE (QCE; SIN 555866) is stepping up its commitment to educating the new generation in the solar sector. Q-Cells is now offering graduates beginning their careers the opportunity of acquiring information about the possibilities of starting work and developing within photovoltaics. From the 2010/11 winter term onwards, the photovoltaic company will endow a professorship for Photovoltaics at the University of Halle-Wittenberg. With both activities, Q-Cells is underscoring its commitment to Germany as a research location. ... more

Bitterfeld-Wolfen / Ahorn, 25 June 2010 – Q-Cells is to hold a ceremony today to hand over two solar energy systems with a total capacity of 11 MWp to the Berlin-based MCG Management Capital Group. Construction of the solar park located near Berolzheim (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) began in February 2010. The park consists of two separate areas, one covering 9 hectares with a capacity of 4.6 MWp, the second covering 11 hectares with a capacity of 6.4 MWp. Approximately 50,000 crystalline solar modules have been installed here, which can supply 3,500 households with energy, thus saving some 10,000 tonnes of CO2 every year. The solar energy systems with an investment volume of approximately EUR 30 million are now to be officially connected to the network operated by the energy provider responsible for the region, EnBW Regional.

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Bitterfeld-Wolfen, 24 June 2010 - The Annual General Meeting of Q-Cells SE (QCE; ISIN DE0005558662) today approved all the items on the agenda with a substantial majority. 

The company will not pay a dividend for the year 2009 following a loss for the year. It is expected to return to a positive EBIT in the second quarter of the current year and given the strong market outlook is confident to also record a positive EBIT for the first half year as a whole.

The Annual General Meeting elected Prof. Karlheinz Hornung as a new member of the Supervisory Board after Andrew Lee had resigned. It also elected Helmut Gierse after he had previously been appointed by Court.

As planned and announced, the then Chairman of the Supervisory Board Marcel Brenninkmeijer stood down from his post in the Supervisory Board meeting following the AGM to propose Karlheinz Hornung for the Chairman position who was subsequently elected. Marcel Brenninkmeijer will continue to serve as member of the Supervisory Board. 

Bitterfeld-Wolfen, 16 June 2010 – Q-Cells SE and Innotech Solar (ITS) today announced that they have entered into a long-term strategic partnership. Under the scope of this agreement, Q-Cells SE will sell all of its non-prime solar cells to ITS for conversion into PV solutions worldwide under the ITS brand name.

Q-Cells SE is a leading photovoltaics company providing solar cells, modules and PV systems. Q-Cells is one of the largest cell manufacturers worldwide, providing the highest quality, most efficient and cost effective crystalline solar photovoltaic cells available.

Under the terms of this strategic partnership, Q-Cells will supply ITS with all of its visual and electrical non-prime solar cells under a multi-year agreement. The clear intention of both parties is also to extend the cooperation.

"The strategic partnership with ITS is a very promising way to make best use of our non-prime solar cells. ITS has the know-how and capacity to process these cells into very attractive modules and systems. Q-Cells’ focus remains on providing the very highest quality branded solar cells and modules, with precisely defined product characteristics, which we offer to our customers or process into our own modules,” Timothy P. Ryan, Sales Director Europe of Q-Cells.

"Q-Cells has an excellent reputation for delivering premium quality, high power output solar cells and developing leading cell efficiencies. ITS is very pleased to have developed an already long business relationship into a strategic partnership. This is a continuation of our good relationship with Q-Cells to use their solar cells in order to offer best performance to our customers,” commented Thor-Christian Tuv, CEO at Innotech Solar AS.

Finally, the parties agreed to a transfer of certain reworking assets and staff from Q-Cells in Thalheim. For ITS the opportunity to take over some of the good resources from Q-Cells is a perfect way to expand our capabilities fast.

ITS is with this partnership broadening our supplier portfolio and in parallel building up production capacity to handle non-prime solar cells from the cell producers. Capturing these cell volumes and making bright energy from them is ITS’ core competence. ITS is supporting the PV industry to decrease cost by improving overall production efficiency. Thus, we are contributing actively to make PV competitive towards fossil energy resources faster and to achieve Grid Parity earlier.

Finally, the parties agreed to a transfer of certain reworking assets and staff from Q-Cells in Thalheim. For ITS the opportunity to take over some of the good resources from Q-Cells is a perfect way to expand our capabilities fast.

• Karlheinz Hornung stands for election at the general meeting

Bitterfeld-Wolfen, 15 June 2010 – It is proposed to elect Karlheinz Hornung to the supervisory board at the annual general meeting of Q-Cells SE (QCE; ISIN DE0005558662) on 24 June 2010 in Leipzig, Germany. At the end of the annual general meeting the supervisory board will have a vacancy as the incumbent supervisory board member Andrew Lee has resigned from his office. This requires the election of a new supervisory board member. As Good Energies (Solar Investments) S.à r.l., the largest shareholder of Q-Cells SE, has informed the company, it intends to propose to the general meeting to appoint Karlheinz Hornung as a new member to the supervisory board.

The incumbent chairman of the supervisory board, Marcel Brenninkmeijer, has announced to make available the office as chairman and to propose Karlheinz Hornung for this office in the supervisory board meeting which will be held following the annual general meeting, if Karlheinz Hornung were to be elected as a new member of the supervisory board of Q-Cells SE at the general meeting. The election of the chairman of the supervisory board is held by its members. Marcel Brenninkmeijer will remain a member of the supervisory board.

The agenda item “by-election to the supervisory board” is already part of the agenda of the annual general meeting, as Helmut Gierse who had initially been appointed a supervisory board member by court shall now be elected by the annual general meeting. The election of Karlheinz Hornung shall be held as an additional matter.
The nomination committee of the supervisory board of Q-Cells SE has considered and approves these proposals.

Personal Data
Karlheinz Hornung (59), having undergone a commercial training course and training as a tax adviser,gathered extensive experience in the areas of finance and controlling, information systems, human resources and investor relations. From 2004 to 2009 hew as a member of the MAN AG Executive Board, with responsibility for Controlling, since 2006 as CFO. Karlheinz Hornung is was appointed honorary professor at the Technical University Dortmund, Germany, and chairman of the foundation board of EBS, European Business School, where he was nominated as honorary doctor in the field of business economics.

• Q.PRO and Q.BASE solar modules from Q-Cells receive VDE certificate at Intersolar
• Long-standing collaboration allows for preferential certification for solar cell customers