Canadian Solar Set to Deliver 122MW of Utility-Scale Solar Projects in the United States

Canadian Solar Enters the U.S. PV Development Market, Successfully Acquiring 11 New Solar Projects

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Jun 19, 2012, 05:00 ET

SAN RAMON, Calif., June 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- Canadian Solar Inc. (the "Company", "we" or "Canadian Solar") (NASDAQ: CSIQ), one of the world's largest solar companies, today announced the acquisition of, or joint venture in 122MW of utility-scale solar development projects within the United States. The 11 photovoltaic (PV) power plants range in size from 2MW to 29MW and construction is planned to begin in 2012 with the last project set to be completed in 2014. Canadian Solar expects that these projects will be the first of many, marking a strategic move for the Company as it expands from pure-play module sales in the United States to deeper collaboration with utility-scale project developers.

The projects were spearheaded by Canadian Solar's U.S. Projects Team, which was initiated to further the Company's project development presence in North America. This is the second market in which Canadian Solar has engaged in project development. The Company already has a notable projects business in Canada that previously announced approximately 340MW of projects in Ontario and has successfully delivered turnkey EPC services for three of those projects.

"Canadian Solar's Projects Team complements our business strategy, offering our customers and partners a more complete solution package," said Dr. Shawn Qu, CEO of Canadian Solar. "Additionally, the investment we have made in starting the new U.S. Projects Team signifies our continued commitment to the U.S. market. The team's extensive solar experience enabled us to hit the ground running, with 11 projects in less than six months and the ability to now further grow our business in the U.S. market."

Canadian Solar has already established itself as one of the largest solar module suppliers to the U.S. market. Canadian Solar believes that its expansion into project development provides the Company an opportunity for continued growth and the ability to create jobs at a time when many other solar companies are being forced to cut back. As Canadian Solar continues to expand its project pipeline, the Company expects to see an increase in revenue from its project solutions business. The Company estimates that its project solutions revenue will make up 25 percent of its total revenue in 2012, compared to 10 percent in 2011.

About Canadian Solar

Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) is one of the world's largest solar companies. As a leading vertically integrated provider of ingot, wafer, solar cell, solar module and other solar applications, Canadian Solar designs, manufactures and delivers solar products and solar system solutions for on-grid and off-grid use to customers worldwide. With operations in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, Canadian Solar provides premium quality, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly solar solutions to support global, sustainable development. For more information, please visit www.canadiansolar.com.

U.S. offices:

12657 Alcosta Blvd, Suite 130, San Ramon, CA 94583
Telephone: 1-925-866-2700
Fax: 1-925-866-2704

945 Concord Street, Framingham, MA 01701
Telephone: 1-508-620-4743
Fax: 1-508-879-0698

Safe Harbor / Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These statements are made under the "Safe Harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by such terms as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include the risks regarding the previously disclosed SEC investigation as well as general business and economic conditions and the state of the solar industry; governmental support for the deployment of solar power; future available supplies of high-purity silicon; demand for end-use products by consumers and inventory levels of such products in the supply chain; changes in demand from significant customers; changes in demand from major markets such as Germany; changes in customer order patterns; changes in product mix; capacity utilization; level of competition; pricing pressure and declines in average selling prices; delays in new product introduction; continued success in technological innovations and delivery of products with the features customers demand; shortage in supply of materials or capacity requirements; availability of financing; exchange rate fluctuations; litigation and other risks as described in the Company's SEC filings, including its annual report on Form 20-F filed on April 27, 2012. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance, or achievements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All information provided in this press release is as of today's date, unless otherwise stated, and Canadian Solar undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

SOURCE Canadian Solar Inc.