Hanwha SolarOne's SF260-36-1PxxxL Module Among the First in the Industry to Pass Rigorous TUV Rheinland Long-Term Sequential Test

- Module more than doubled industry standard expectations during testing

SHANGHAI, May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. (Hanwha SolarOne), a top-10 global photovoltaic manufacturer of low-cost, high-quality solar photovoltaic modules, today announced that its SF260-36-1PxxxL module passed the Long-Term Sequential Test by TUV Rheinland, a leading third-party certification organization of solar module quality and reliability.

The Long-Term Sequential Test (LST) evaluates overall quality and performance of solar modules based on four sub-tests: damp heat, thermal cycling, humidity freeze and bypass diode. Conventional industry testing standards, set by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), allow for a separate module to be tested for each criterion. The LST subjects the same module to all four sub-tests, thereby evaluating it under conditions closer to those the product will face during real world deployment. 

"Passing the rigorous TUV Rheinland Long-Term Sequential Test builds on Hanwha Solar's commitment to quality, which includes an industry-leading 12-year workmanship and materials warranty and 25-year linear power warranty on our modules," said Chris Eberspacher, chief technology officer of Hanwha SolarOne.

The SF260-36-1PxxxL module maintained a constant level of power output through 2,000 hours of damp heat testing and 400 cycles of thermal cycling testing—double standard industry expectations—and four 10-cycle test blocks of humidity freeze—four times standard industry expectations.

"Hanwha SolarOne is among the very first PV manufacturers in the industry to successfully pass TUV Rheinland's stringent Long-Term Sequential Test," said Hee Cheul Kim, president of Hanwha SolarOne. "This certification exemplifies how Hanwha SolarOne is a great long term partner, backed by Korea's Fortune-500 Hanwha Group, capable of offering a high quality product with a strong return on investment."

In addition to passing the TUV Rheinland LST, Hanwha SolarOne also recently achieved an "A" rating for Brazil's National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Inmetro) certification through collaboration with local partner Unitron S.A.

CONTACTS:           

Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd.
John Xi
PR & Advertising Manager
Phone: +86-21-385-215-21
Email: john.xi@hanwha-solarone.com

About Hanwha SolarOne

Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: HSOL) is one of the top 10 photovoltaic manufacturers in the world, providing cost-competitive, high quality PV modules. It is the flagship company of Hanwha Solar, the solar business network of Fortune 500 ranked Hanwha Group. Hanwha SolarOne serves the utility, commercial, government and residential markets for a growing network of third-party distributors, OEM manufacturers and system integrators. The company maintains a strong presence worldwide, with employees located throughout Europe, North America and Asia, and embraces environmental responsibility and sustainability, with an active role in the voluntary photovoltaic recycling program. For more information, please visit: http://www.hanwha-solarone.com.

About TUV Rheinland

Founded in 1872, TUV Rheinland is a global leader in independent testing, inspection, and certification services, ensuring quality and safety for people, the environment and technology in nearly all aspects of life. The company maintains a presence in 500 locations spanning 61 countries, employs 16,000 people and has an annual revenue of $1.9 billion (Euro 1.4 billion). TUV Rheinland inspects technical equipment, products and services, oversees projects and helps to shape processes for a wide variety of companies through its worldwide network of approved labs, testing facilities and education centers. Since 2006, the company has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact to promote sustainability and combat corruption. For more information, visit www.tuv.com/us.

SOURCE Hanwha SolarOne (Qidong) Co., Ltd.