Canadian Solar Inc.(the "Company", or "Canadian Solar") (NASDAQ: CSIQ) announced that its submission of the 148 MW solar park PV project in southern Brandenburg, Germany was named the 2012 winner of the Solar Project of the Year Award by POWER-GEN International.

The solar complex in southern Brandenburg, one of the world's largest PV projects covering 352 hectares (870 acres), was constructed on a former lignite mining strip in the East German community of Meuro, near Senftenberg. Canadian Solar provided 636,000 CS6P-P modules, powering nearly 90 percent, 148 MW, of the project's 166 MW total output. 

By utilizing a former surface mine for the installation, the PV solar project converted a brownfield into an energy-producing solar farm, creating hundreds of local construction and operations jobs and generating enough clean, renewable solar energy to power 67,500 households in the region.

"It is an honor to have the solar complex in Brandenburg recognized as the best solar project in the world by the POWER-GEN International team; this project required a tremendous collaboration effort that would not have been possible without  our two partners, project developers and contractors saferay and GP JOULE," said Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar. "The success of this project proves that it is faster to develop, build and achieve dividends on large-scale solar PV systems than any other type of power plant, even in regions with fewer sun hours."

The award was announced at POWER-GEN International's Projects of the Year awards gala in Orlando.

The solar complex in Brandenburg beat out 43 other entrants from around the world to take top honors in the Best Solar Project category. Finalists were chosen by a team of eight editors from Power Engineering and Renewable Energy World.

With a track record of quality, Canadian Solar executes against a strict process plan to monitor the vitals of quality control throughout all phases of their solar product production. The Canadian Solar modules pass through rigorous formal inspections and testing that have earned the solar products a long list of international certifications. Canadian Solar delivers a wide portfolio of solar products and solutions that are recognized for their reliable quality, performance, and value.