12 June 2014

Stion to accelerate second-half 2014 and 2015 solar panel capacity ramp

Stion Corp of San Jose, CA, USA, which makes nanostructure-based CIGSS (copper indium gallium sulphur-diselenide) thin-film photovoltaic panels, says that it will increase manufacturing capacity of its next-generation Elevation Series CIGS solar modules for second-half 2014, and continue to ramp up for increased 2015 demand precipitated by news of the US Department of Commerce’s preliminary tariffs on Chinese solar modules shipped to the USA.

Founded in 2006, Stion’s high-efficiency Elevation Series CIGS thin-film modules are designed in San Jose and manufactured its first high-volume production facility in Hattiesburg, Mississippi (opened in 2012), with distribution in the USA and internationally.

The US Commerce Department’s announcement last week came after a lengthy countervailing duty investigation (CVD) for solar products imported into the USA from China to address an existing loophole that enabled an unfair pricing advantage to foreign manufacturers, says Stion. The decision will effectively raise prices on solar imports into the USA in the near term, pending a final decision on 18 August. This ‘anti-dumping’ tariff will significantly increase prices for developers using Chinese-made products for solar installations in all major segments (utility, commercial and residential), adds the firm. Many projects may subsequently be delayed or lose funding if Internal Rates of Return are adversely affected and the developers are unable to locate a cost-effective, non-Chinese-made technology alternative.

“We understand that this preliminary tariff will put a strain on the US solar market as current major Chinese solar equipment supplier pricing increases from 18% to 35%, with the average Chinese supplier prices increasing by 27%,” states Stion’s president & CEO Chet Farris. “Stion is committed to serving the US market with the highest-quality US-designed and US-manufactured solar technologies,” he adds. “We are ramping up our operations to meet the needs of our domestic customers in the near term and for the growing US solar market over the years to come.”

See related items:

Stion receives ISO 9001 certification for mass-production facility

Stion opens 100MW CIGSSe PV factory in Mississippi

Tags: Stion CIGSSe

Visit: www.stion.com