"We are grateful to Larry Hagman for his commitment to building a solar world," said Kevin Kilkelly, president of SolarWorld Americas in Camarillo, Calif.

HILLSBORO, Ore., Nov. 26, 2012 – With deep sadness, SolarWorld mourns the death of Larry Hagman. Hagman was a vocal advocate for solar energy in America and around the globe. Contrary to his popular image as ruthless oil baron J.R. Ewing on TV's Dallas, Hagman owned one of the biggest private solar energy systems in the United States. He also participated in several philanthropic solar projects, including the electrification of hospitals in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. For SolarWorld, Hagman acted in numerous television advertisements in the U.S. and Europe.

"I have nothing more to do with oil. I am producing my own energy... Solar energy," Hagman proclaimed in one of the ten television spots he made for SolarWorld in recent years. With the slogan "Shine, Baby, Shine!" Hagman played off the oil industry's rally call, "Drill, baby, drill," to promote solar technology.

"We are grateful to Larry Hagman for his commitment to building a solar world," said Kevin Kilkelly, president of SolarWorld Americas in Camarillo, Calif. "His charisma and example encouraged thousands of people to go solar. We will miss him, but we will always remember his talent and his dedication to the promise of solar energy."

About SolarWorld (www.SolarWorld.com)
SolarWorld manufactures solar power systems and in doing so contributes to a cleaner energy supply worldwide. The company, headquarted in Bonn, employs about 3,000 people and carries out production in Freiberg, Germany, and Hillsboro, Oregon, USA. From raw material silicon to the solar module, SolarWorld manages all stages of production ‒ including its own research and development. Through an international distribution network, SolarWorld supplies customers all over the world with solar modules and complete systems. The company maintains high social standards at all locations across the globe and has committed itself to resource- and energy-efficient production. SolarWorld has been publically traded on the stock market since 1999 and is quoted in the technology index TecDax. SolarWorld achieved sales of about 1 billion Euros for the fiscal year 2011.