[December 11, 2014]

SolarWorld Solar Panels Power Hannah Solar's Cultivation of 'Cash Crop' in Georgia Solar Drive

SolarWorld, the largest U.S. solar manufacturer for nearly 40 years, announced that the company is rounding out nearly 18 megawatts of solar-panel deliveries to enable Atlanta-based Hannah Solar develop solar projects in several state regions and dozens of projects, many on agricultural lands.

An array of SolarWorld solar panels in Alapaha, Georgia is one of several that the Dixon Gin Co. Inc. has installed to secure a reliable rate of return and make a new productive use of its agricultural land in Georgia. (Photo: Business Wire)

A solar system installer, designer and integrator, Hannah Solar is developing projects that make productive new uses of sites through Georgia Power's Advanced Solar Initiative to drive the state's solar generating capacity from about 20 MW to nearly 1 gigawatt in just five years. Hannah Solar will install about 12.5 MW of SolarWorld solar panels this year. Georgia Power's Advanced Solar Initiative has made the state one of the fastest-rowing U.S. solar states. Under the program, Hannah Solar's customers typically can look forward to watching their fuel-, noise- and emission-free systems pay for themselves in about six years, then produce 13 cents for each kilowatt-hour produced for 20 years. In addition, many customers are using solar to offset their energy consumption as well.

"Farmers think of these projects as cash crops in which they no longer have to worry about the weather to generate an attractive return on their investment and a hedge against the ups and downs of their crops," said Pete Marte, president, chief executive and founder of Hannah Solar, which he named after his daughter upon its founding in 2007.

Some projects have gone up on lands designated for other uses, including industry. For instance, at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 12, a ceremony will commission a 1 MW system harnessing SolarWorld solar panels on Meriwether County Industrial Development Authority land in Greenville. Washington Gas Energy Systems will own and operate that project.

About 80 percent of the Hannah Solar projects have been sited on farmlands, helping to boost the economies of proportionately more severely recession-affected rural areas of the state. As a result, many potential partners who are multi-generational farmers prefer purchasing durable goods from U.S. producers such as SolarWorld, Marte said.

Among Hannah Solar's project partners has been Dixon Gin Co. Inc., which has participated in 700 kilowatts in projects in Alapaha and Enigma, towns where the company operates its cotton, peanut and supply businesses.

"After talking with people in the industry that had installed solar and looking at the financial numbers, we knew solar would be a great investment and fit for our operations," said Jaclyn Ford, a company co-owner and co-manager. "Solar is an excellent investment and good for our county and local community."

About SolarWorld REAL VALUE: SolarWorld manufactures and sells solar power solutions and in doing so contributes to a cleaner energy supply worldwide. As the largest solar producer in the United States and Europe, SolarWorld employs about 3,400 people and carries out production in Hillsboro, Ore., and Freiberg and Arnstadt, Germany. From the raw material silicon to solar wafers, cells and panels, SolarWorld manages all stages of production ? including its own research and development. The company maintains high social standards at all locations across the globe and is committed to resource- and energy-efficient production. Headquartered in Bonn, Germany, SolarWorld was founded in 1998 and its stock has been publicly traded since 1999. Connect with SolarWorld on Facebook (News - Alert), Twitter and www.solarworld-usa.com.

About Hannah Solar LLC: Hannah Solar is a full-service, certified solar integrator dedicated to providing the very best in engineering, products, installation and servicing of solar arrays, EV charging stations, critical backup generators and LED lighting. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and comprised of a Certified Solar Photovoltaic Installer (NABCEP), licensed Professional Engineers (PE), Master Electricians, service technicians, project-management professionals, designers and installers, Hannah Solar serves its clients as a reliable and experienced resource in sustainable energy integration. For more details, go to www.hannahsolar.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20141211005985/en/

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