public class ApachePOITest {

    @Test
    public void simpleTest() throws ServiceException {
        long start = System.currentTimeMillis();
        HSSFWorkbook wb = new HSSFWorkbook();
        Sheet sheet = wb.createSheet();
        PrintSetup printSetup = sheet.getPrintSetup();
        printSetup.setLandscape(true);

        for (int rows = 0; rows < 500; rows++) {
            Row row = sheet.createRow(rows);
            for (int cols = 0; cols < 10; cols++) {
                Cell cell = row.createCell(cols);
                cell.setCellValue("r=" + rows + "; c=" + cols);
            }
        }

        File file = WorkBookUtils.createFile(wb, "simple_report");
        long end = System.currentTimeMillis();
        System.out.println("elapsed time = " + TimeUnit.SECONDS.convert((end - start), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS) + " sec.\n" + file.getAbsolutePath());
    }
}

elapsed time = 0 sec.