Suntech Opens New Manufacturing Plant In U.S.
Suntech, a Chinese solar PV manufacturer recently opened a new plant in the United States. The new 30 MW capacity module production facility is located in Arizona. While a lot of solar manufacturers have started moving to China in the past few years, this facility shows that the foreign solar companies see the value in moving into the U.S.
With some of the European markets declining, it is anticipated that the United States will be making up for some of the slumping demand globally. For the first time, the American PV market could surpass the 1GW barrier this year. A lot of the companies have moved into the United States so that they will be able to produce modules that are compliant with the American made requirements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The facility consists of 117,000 square foot and will be producing Suntech’s 280 watt Vd-series modules. These modules are mainly used for utility scale and commercial projects. Suntech has announced that they will be expanding the facility with another 50MW next year. The expansion will increase the number of employees from 75 to 150. The companies future plans are to increase the facility to 120 MW.