1998
Establishment of SOLARWORLD on 18 December 1998 in Bonn/Germany – the location of today’s SOLARWORLD headquarters
1999
First public capital increase by 500,000 shares to € 3.0 million of capital stock
- 26 March: registration of SOLARWORLD AG in the Bonn commercial register
- 8 November: IPO – first chapter of a success story in the stock market
- First step as a solar technology producer: acquisition of a stake in the Swedish module manufacturer Gällivare Photovoltaic/Sweden
2000
EMISSION PROCEEDS FROM TWO ADDITIONAL CAPITAL INCREASES CREATE THE FINANCIAL LEEWAY FOR THE STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT ENTRY INTO WAFER PRODUCTION – CAPITAL STOCK INCREASED TO € 4.5 MILLION
- By acquiring a stake in the then Bayer Solar in Freiberg (today: Deutsche Solar) and subsequently expanding the Freiberg/Germany production site systematically SOLARWORLD laid the foundation for its growth along the entire solar value chain.
2001
CAPITAL INCREASE BY 450,000 SHARES – WITH CAPITAL STOCK GOING UP TO € 4.95 MILLION – THE CAPITAL RESOURCES WERE FURTHER STRENGTHENED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION
- The foundation of SOLAR FACTORY in Freiberg/Germany marks our entry into module production.
2002
CAPITAL INCREASE BY 825,000 SHARES – THE CAPITAL STOCK NOW AMOUNTS TO € 5.775 MILLION
- Inauguration of DEUTSCHE CELL and thus entry into the group’s own cell production – SOLARWORLD thus operates Europe’s largest integrated solar cell factory in Freiberg/Germany.
- First-time signature of the Corporate Governance Code.
- Joint Venture with Evonik Degussa GmbH (JSSI) – pioneering step in the area of generating solar-grade silicon.
2003
INCLUSION OF SOLARWORLD SHARE IN THE PRIME STANDARD OF DEUTSCHE BÖRSE – THE SHARE IS WELL ESTABLISHED AND IS SOON REPRESENTED IN OTHER INDICES AS WELL
- Commissioning of the pilot plant SolarMaterial for solar recycling and wafer recovery at the Freiberg/Germany location – SOLARWORLD as the pioneer and innovation driver.
- Inauguration of a fully automatic production line for solar modules in Freiberg/Germany – the complete solar value chain is at the highest technological standard.
2004
SOLARWORLD MANAGES TO ENTER THE TECDAX VIA THE SO-CALLED “FAST ENTRY RULE” – CAPITAL INCREASE BY ANOTHER 575,000 SHARES – CAPITAL STOCK AT € 6.35 MILLION FLOATING OF A CORPORATE BOND: THE SOLARWORLD BEARER BOND
- SOLARWORLD is awarded certification according to ISO 9001 thus documenting its quality orientation right across all business processes.
- Group strategy and consistent course of expansion generate successes: Two years after foundation DEUTSCHE CELL joins the Top Ten of worldwide solar cell manufacturers. Deutsche Solar advances into the league of the largest European manufacturers of silicon wafers.
2005
1:1 ISSUE OF BONUS SHARES DOUBLES CAPITAL STOCK TO € 12.7 MILLION – TOP SHARE OF THE YEAR 2005
- SOLARWORLD Einstein Award presented for the first time. The award goes to personalities who have acquired special merits in promoting the use of solar energy.
- With the foundation of the sales subsidiaries SOLARWORLD California and SOLARWORLD Ibérica the group starts the expansion of its international business.
- Raw materials activities enhanced: JSSI’s prototype plant for solar-grade silicon generation produces the first quantity of silicon.
2006
FURTHER CAPITAL INCREASE BY 1.265 MILLION SHARES – € 13.965 MILLION OF CAPITAL STOCK – RENEWED ISSUE OF BONUS SHARES 1:3 – THE CAPITAL STOCK RISES TO € 55.86 MILLION
- Acquisition of the crystalline solar activities of Shell in Germany and the USA – basis for the future production in the USA and rise to be among the leading TOP 3 solar power providers worldwide.
- Entry into solar motor racing – development of a solar racing car SOLARWORLD No. 1 together with Bochum University of Applied Sciences/Germany.
2007
1:1 ISSUE OF BONUS SHARES – DOUBLING THE CAPITAL STOCK TO € 111.72 MILLION
- Acquisition of a new production facility in Hillsboro in the US State of Oregon – milestone for the further expansion of US manufacturing activities in only 18 months.
- Strategic expansion of the areas of Research & Development as well as Raw Materials by establishing the subsidiaries SOLARWORLD Innovations and Sunicon in Freiberg/Germany.
- Under the umbrella of Solar2World the group pools its not-for-profit activities and contributes to the regional progress in developing countries with its projects of rural solar power solutions.
2008
- Opening of the SOLARWORLD SOLAR FACTORY in Hillsboro – America’s largest production facility for crystalline wafers and cells. SOLARWORLD becomes the largest producer among the fully integrated solar groups in the USA.
- Expansion of the growth potential in the Asian market – establishment of solar module production in South Korea as part of the SOLARWORLD Korea Joint Venture.
- Breaking ground for the construction of a further wafer factory at the Freiberg site – the largest expansion project to date.
- SOLARWORLD receives German Sustainability Award for the most sustainable production and moves up to the TOP 3 of most sustainable brands in Germany.
- Group’s own silicon production got started within the framework of the Joint Solar Silicon (JSSI) joint venture with Evonik Degussa GmbH.