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Released August 08, 2024 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--While much of the headlines about U.S. solar module production involves the construction of large, $1 billion-plus blockbuster plants being developed by companies such as First Solar Incorporated (NASDAQ:FSLR) (Tempe, Arizona) and Hanwha Qcells (Seoul, South Korea), several smaller renovations and expansions are occurring at solar module plants throughout the U.S. at existing buildings and operational plants.
One of the latest solar panel companies to obtain funding for a building renovation in the U.S. is China's Trina Solar Company Limited (Changzhou, China), which recently secured a $235 million loan to turn an existing 1.35 million-square-foot building in Wilmer, Texas, into a panel gigafactory. Trina will use the funding for building renovations to house seven assembly lines that will produce panels for utility-scale, commercial and residential applications.
Design-build firm Gray Construction (Lexington, Kentucky) first turned dirt on the project late last year, putting the plant on track for completion by the end of this year, when it will begin ramping up toward full production of 5 gigawatts (GW) of panels per year. The facility will manufacture 210-millimeter wafers, a larger size that Trina helped pioneer. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence Industrial Manufacturing Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
Later this year, Silfab Solar Incorporated (Mississauga, Ontario) plans to begin a similar project in Fort Mills, South Carolina. Consultants, architects and engineers are at work on how to refit the 785,000-square-foot speculative building with three panel assembly lines, two solar cell production lines and supporting equipment to produce 1 GW of cells and 1.2 GW of panels annually for the U.S. market. The U.S. Department of Energy awarded Silfab $5 million to develop a 300-MW pilot line at the plant for a back-contact cell that is expected to demonstrate efficiencies of 26% or better. Leaving room for growth, the line can be rapidly scaled up for higher production if needed. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
In Goodyear, Arizona, Meyer Burger Technology Ltd (Gwatt, Switzerland) is underway with the renovation of an existing 276,000-square-foot building on the grounds of an airport by performing structural modifications and equipment additions that will allow the plant to produce 1.6 GW of solar modules for residential, commercial and utility applications. General contractor Opus Design Build LLC (Minnetonka, Minnesota) is putting the finishing touches on the plant and expected to be completed with construction in the coming months. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
Other companies are expanding operational facilities. Maxeon Solar Technologies Limited (NASDAQ:MAXN) (Singapore) plans to expand and install new equipment at its plant in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to increase annual production capacity from 3.5 GW of panels to 4.5 GW. The $250 million project is expected to begin in 2026, taking about a year to complete. Subscribers can click here to learn more.
Other companies are planning expansions for plants that haven't yet been built. VSK Energy LLC (Westborough, Massachusetts) initially plans to invest $250 million for a 1.7 million-square-foot grassroot plant in Brighton, Colorado, that is expected to be completed in 2026 with a manufacturing capacity of 2 GW. After the plant's completion, Vikram plans to drop more funds into an expansion project that will lift annual capacity to 4 GW of solar ingots, cells and wafers. The initial plant construction is expected to be completed in 2026, followed by the expansion the following year. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the reports on the planned grassroot and expansion projects.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
One of the latest solar panel companies to obtain funding for a building renovation in the U.S. is China's Trina Solar Company Limited (Changzhou, China), which recently secured a $235 million loan to turn an existing 1.35 million-square-foot building in Wilmer, Texas, into a panel gigafactory. Trina will use the funding for building renovations to house seven assembly lines that will produce panels for utility-scale, commercial and residential applications.
Design-build firm Gray Construction (Lexington, Kentucky) first turned dirt on the project late last year, putting the plant on track for completion by the end of this year, when it will begin ramping up toward full production of 5 gigawatts (GW) of panels per year. The facility will manufacture 210-millimeter wafers, a larger size that Trina helped pioneer. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence Industrial Manufacturing Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
Later this year, Silfab Solar Incorporated (Mississauga, Ontario) plans to begin a similar project in Fort Mills, South Carolina. Consultants, architects and engineers are at work on how to refit the 785,000-square-foot speculative building with three panel assembly lines, two solar cell production lines and supporting equipment to produce 1 GW of cells and 1.2 GW of panels annually for the U.S. market. The U.S. Department of Energy awarded Silfab $5 million to develop a 300-MW pilot line at the plant for a back-contact cell that is expected to demonstrate efficiencies of 26% or better. Leaving room for growth, the line can be rapidly scaled up for higher production if needed. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
In Goodyear, Arizona, Meyer Burger Technology Ltd (Gwatt, Switzerland) is underway with the renovation of an existing 276,000-square-foot building on the grounds of an airport by performing structural modifications and equipment additions that will allow the plant to produce 1.6 GW of solar modules for residential, commercial and utility applications. General contractor Opus Design Build LLC (Minnetonka, Minnesota) is putting the finishing touches on the plant and expected to be completed with construction in the coming months. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
Other companies are expanding operational facilities. Maxeon Solar Technologies Limited (NASDAQ:MAXN) (Singapore) plans to expand and install new equipment at its plant in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to increase annual production capacity from 3.5 GW of panels to 4.5 GW. The $250 million project is expected to begin in 2026, taking about a year to complete. Subscribers can click here to learn more.
Other companies are planning expansions for plants that haven't yet been built. VSK Energy LLC (Westborough, Massachusetts) initially plans to invest $250 million for a 1.7 million-square-foot grassroot plant in Brighton, Colorado, that is expected to be completed in 2026 with a manufacturing capacity of 2 GW. After the plant's completion, Vikram plans to drop more funds into an expansion project that will lift annual capacity to 4 GW of solar ingots, cells and wafers. The initial plant construction is expected to be completed in 2026, followed by the expansion the following year. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the reports on the planned grassroot and expansion projects.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
