Solar-Panel Manufacturing Plants Increase in U.S.

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Although power generation from solar farms and photovoltaic devices might not yet have reached the tremendous heights that wind power seems to be achieving throughout the world, certain companies are making large investments in the manufacture of solar panels and cells. Industrial Info, as part of its North American Industrial Database, is currently tracking more than $780 million of current and planned projects that involve the construction and/or expansion of plants that manufacture solar panels and cells.

One of the largest investments being made in this sector involves the development of a solar-panel manufacturing plant in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by Solar Array Ventures Incorporated (Austin, Texas). Construction of the company's grassroot manufacturing plant is set to kick off this summer. The 225,000-square-foot building will manufacture thin-film solar panels exclusively for industrial and commercial use. The estimated investment value of the project is $210 million. The company hopes to begin limited operations in early 2010, although the plant will not be fully complete until fall of that year. All being well, a plant expansion that would essentially double the size the facility is already in the early planning stages.

Several other projects being tracked by Industrial Info involve the expansion of existing solar-manufacturing facilities. BP Solar International LLC (Frederick, Maryland), a subsidiary of BP plc (NYSE:BP) (London, United Kingdom), is in the process of expanding its solar-cell manufacturing facility in Frederick. The expansion will include the addition of not only additional manufacturing space, but also warehouse and office space. The construction will increase the facility's production capacity to 150 megawatts (MW) per year. BP has the goal of eventually producing 400 MW of solar cells per year at the plant. Editor's note: This project has since been canceled.

Information on several other solar-panel manufacturing projects is available in Industrial Info's North American Industrial Database. As increased clean-air legislation and solar-power tax credits are instituted, the number of similar projects is set to keep growing.

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Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy related markets. For more than 26 years, Industrial Info has provided plant and project opportunity databases, market forecasts, high resolution maps, and daily industry news.