SMA Solar Technology AG

Regulatory Filings • May 10, 2011

News Details

Corporate | 10 May 2011 15:56

SMA Solar Technology AG: Founders of SMA Solar Technology AG establish charitable trusts

SMA Solar Technology AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous

10.05.2011 / 15:56

Niestetal, May 9, 2011 - Founders and major shareholders of SMA Solar
Technology AG (SMA/FWB: S92), Günther Cramer, Peter Drews and Reiner
Wettlaufer, have established three non-profit trusts, placing part of their
shares in them. In particular, the trusts benefiting a joint trust
association for project development are intended to develop and advocate
concepts and business models for distributing regenerative energy supply
systems in addition to commercial, scientific, cultural and social regional
development. At the same time, the sponsors created a significant
prerequisite for further independence of SMA by establishing the trusts.

Founders and major shareholders of SMA Günther Cramer, Peter Drews and
Reiner Wettlaufer announced that they have established three independent
charitable trusts vested with legal capacity. The trusts were approved by
the Regional Administrative Authority Kassel and acknowledged as non-profit
by the tax office Kassel.

Each sponsor brings two million shares of SMA and additional liquid funds
as financial resources into his trust. This equals about 45 percent each of
the shares to SMA still held by the sponsors. This means that the dividend
distribution of these shares after the Annual General Meeting on May 26,
2011 will already flow into the trusts; a major part of the dividend is
intended to be brought into the trusts' assets.

Since the three independent trusts in general have the same missions, the
sponsors intend to carry out a major part of realizing the purpose by means
of joint projects. For the project development responsibility of the
trusts, a trust association is to be established as a non-profit GmbH which
is anticipated to start work in autumn 2011. The trust association will
have its domicile in Kassel.

The trusts' purpose includes developing and advocating regenerative energy
supply systems and concepts as well as business models for their
distribution. In particular, this applies to regions in developing
countries having no or insufficient connections to the public power supply
system. In addition, the trusts have the goal to advocate commercial,
scientific, cultural and social regional development in North Hesse in
particular and to realize charitable missions.

Regarding the SMA shares, the trusts' assets are to be maintained in their
respective portfolios. By establishing the trusts, the sponsors thus also
ensure that SMA will continue to have a very stable shareholder structure,
therefore being largely independent in the future as well.

About SMA
The SMA Group generated sales of EUR 1.9 billion in 2010 and is the
worldwide market leader for photovoltaic inverters, a key component of all
solar power plants. It is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany,
and is represented on four continents by 17 international subsidiaries. In
2010, the Group employed a staff of over 5,000 (incl. temporary workers).
SMA's product portfolio includes the most comprehensive range of inverters
on the market, offering a compatible inverter for every type of
photovoltaic module and for all plant sizes. The product range covers both
inverters for photovoltaic plants connected to the grid as well as
inverters for off-grid systems. Since 2008, the Group's parent company SMA
Solar Technology AG has been listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt
Stock Exchange (S92) and also in the TecDAX index. In recent years, SMA has
received numerous awards for its excellence as an employer and lately
reached first place in the federal 'Great Place to Work' competition.

SMA Solar Technology AG
Sonnenallee 1
34266 Niestetal
Germany

Press contact:
Volker Wasgindt
Director Public Affairs
Phone +49 561 9522-11 21
Fax +49 561 9522-11 03
Volker.Wasgindt@SMA.de

Investor Relations:
Stephanie Kniep
Director Investor Relations
Phone +49 561 9522-22 22
Fax +49 561 9522-22 23
ir@SMA.de

Julia Damm
Investor Relations Officer
Phone +49 561 9522-11 64

Disclaimer:
This press release serves only as information and does not constitute an
offer or invitation to subscribe for, acquire, hold or sell any securities
of SMA Solar Technology AG (the 'Company') or any present or future
subsidiary of the Company (together with the Company, the 'SMA Group') nor
should it form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any
contract to purchase or subscribe for any securities in the Company or any
member of the SMA Group or commitment whatsoever. Securities may not be
offered or sold in the United States of America absent registration or an
exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.
This press release can contain future-oriented statements. Future-oriented
statements are statements which do not describe facts of the past. They
also include statements about our assumptions and expectations. These
statements are based on plans, estimations and forecasts which the
executive board of SMA Solar Technology AG (SMA or company) has available
at this time. Future-oriented statements are therefore only valid on the
day on which they are made. Future-oriented statements by nature contain
risks and elements of uncertainty. Various known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors can lead to considerable differences
between the actual results, the financial position, the development or the
performance of the corporation and the estimates given here. These factors
include those which SMA has discussed in published reports. These reports
are available on the SMA website at www.SMA.de. The company accepts no
obligation whatsoever to update these future-oriented statements or to
adjust them to future events or developments.

End of Corporate News

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Language: English
Company: SMA Solar Technology AG
Sonnenallee 1
34266 Niestetal
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)561 / 9522 - 0
Fax: +49 (0)561 / 9522 - 100
E-mail: info@sma.de
Internet: http://www.sma.de
ISIN: DE000A0DJ6J9
WKN: A0DJ6J
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard);
Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, München, Stuttgart

End of News DGAP News-Service

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