REC Group refutes Hanwha Q-cells’ allegations in Australia

Munich, Germany, March 29, 2019 – Hanwha Q-Cells issued a press release on March 25, 2019 following the filing of patent infringement proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia against REC Group, BayWa r.e. Solar Systems, andSol Distribution.

In the claim against REC Group, Hanwha did not providefullparticulars oftheir allegations despite REC Group’s requests forthe sameand went ahead to commence proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia.

Based onREC Group’s preliminary analysis of Hanwha’s complaints and the asserted patent, REC Groupis confidentthat it does not infringe Hanwha’s patent,and will vigorouslydefend itself, itsaward-winning products,itsdistributors,customers and partners.

REC Groupwill take all measuresto seek recourse against Hanwha, including petitioning for the invalidity of Hanwha’s alleged patent.REC Group looks forward to prevailing in court.

REC Groupis well known for its innovations during its 23-year historyand ownsnumerous valuablepatentsand patent applicationswhich cover its products.Indeed in 2014, REC Group was the first tier 1 manufacturer to introduce half-cut cells with backside passivation for mass production.

Lastsummer, REC launchedN-Peak,the world’s first solar panel combining half-cut mono n-typecells in atwinpaneldesign.Witha full black version of N-Peak,RECjust launched its fourth innovation since last September.RECGroup’s solar panels are widely recognized for their unique product offering worldwide.

Together withBayWar.e. Solar SystemsandSol Distribution, RECGroupiscontinuouslyincreasing its footprint in Australia,which has beenone of REC’sglobalkey marketsfor many years.Between 2016 and 2018, RECdoubled itsshipments to Australia.

In 2018,the company saw an upsurge of REC-certified installers in Australia to a total of 260.REC Group is fully committed tokeep onacceleratingits presence in Australia and will demonstrate its newest product innovations at the Smart EnergyExpo in Sydney, April 2-3.

It will be business as usual for the European solar panel brand. REC Group will continue to produce, market and provideits customers and users with high-quality products and timely delivery to fulfill its vision that every person shall benefit from clean electricity directly from the sun. As always, REC Group will keep its distributors, customers and partners fully apprised of any developments.