Suntech Achieves the Five-Gigawatt Milestone

WUXI, China, Oct. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP), the world's largest producer of solar panels, celebrated its 10th anniversary by announcing that more than five gigawatts (GW) of Suntech solar panels have been installed by customers and partners around the world since its inception in 2001. The 5GW of Suntech solar panels can generate enough clean electricity to offset approximately 3.78 million tons of CO2 per year: this is similar to planting 9 million trees or removing 1.5 million cars from the road.

Suntech is the first and only solar panel maker in the industry to achieve this coveted milestone. With growing adoption of solar among more and more countries around the world, Suntech aims to achieve the 10GW milestone in the next two years.  

"We are extremely proud to achieve this milestone of 5GW installed capacity on our 10 year anniversary. This achievement was made possible by our customers, business partners and employees who have been working throughout the global solar ecosystem to make solar electricity affordable for everyone," said Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Suntech's Founder and CEO. "With a focus on achieving retail grid parity in 50% of global markets by 2015, we will continue to work with our customers and partners to change the way the world produces and consumes energy."

Suntech's solar panels are generating clean power in a myriad of environments all around the world - from sunny deserts, to snow covered rooftops, and salty coastal environs. Since 2001, Suntech's solar panels have provided an estimated 1 million people around the world, primarily in off-grid regions, with reliable access to basic electricity. Suntech aims to provide 20 million people with access to basic electricity by 2020.

To learn more about Suntech's achievements in the last 10 years, please refer to the first edition of its Sustainability Report here.

About Suntech

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP) produces industry-leading solar products for residential, commercial, industrial, and utility applications. With regional headquarters in China, Switzerland, and the United States, and gigawatt-scale manufacturing worldwide, Suntech has delivered more than 20,000,000 photovoltaic panels to over a thousand customers in more than 80 countries. Suntech's pioneering R&D creates customer-centric innovations that are driving solar to grid parity against fossil fuels. Suntech's mission is to provide everyone with reliable access to nature's cleanest and most abundant energy source.

For more information about Suntech's people and products visit: http://www.suntech-power.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements, and includes statements relating 5GW of solar panels producing enough clean electricity to offset 3.78 million tons of CO2 per year, which is similar to planting 9 million trees or removing 1.5 million cars from the road; providing 20 million people with access to basic electricity by 2020; achieving 10GW installed capacity in two years; and achieving retail grid parity in 50% of global markets by 2015. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Suntech's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F. Suntech does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.

SOURCE Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd.