22 August 2011

CIGS PV firm SoloPower receives $197m DOE loan guarantee

SoloPower Inc of San Jose, CA, USA, which makes thin-film copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) photovoltaic (PV) cells and lightweight flexible solar modules for rooftop installations, has received a $197m loan guarantee from the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office. The guarantee will support the construction and operation of three facilities that are expected to produce about 400MW of modules annually.

In addition to expanding its existing operation in San Jose, SoloPower will construct and operate two new facilities in Portland, OR. Together, the facilities will provide 450 permanent jobs, 270 construction jobs and several hundred additional supply chain jobs.

"SoloPower is bringing exactly the kind of new jobs Oregon needs,” says Governor John Kitzhaber. “Working with SoloPower to bring their manufacturing headquarters to Portland, we are continuing on the path of supporting a strong clean technology manufacturing base in Oregon,” he adds. 
SoloPower produce CIGS-based photovoltaic cells, and then packages them into flexible, lightweight solar modules that require less balance-of-system hardware and are easier to install than traditional solar panels, it is claimed.

“Solar manufacturing represents one of the best ways to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and with SoloPower poised to make a massive investment in Oregon’s already impressive alternative energy technology industry, it is clearer than ever that Oregon continues to be a ‘go-to’ state for innovation,” comments Senator Ron Wyden.

SoloPower recently began making improvements to its existing facility in San Jose to accommodate the capacity expansion. Construction on the first high-volume facility in Portland is expected to start next month.

See related items:

SoloPower raises a further $15m in fifth-round funding

SoloPower receives $197m DOE loan guarantee to build CIGS PV module factory

Tags: SoloPower CIGS module

Visit: www.solopower.com