Suntech Begins Manufacturing Solar Panels in the United States

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., the world's largest producer of solar panels, today opened its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Goodyear, Arizona. The new module production facility has an initial 30MW of annual capacity and will employ more than 75 operators, engineers and professionals by the end of 2010. Due to strong interest from customers, Suntech is already making plans to expand the facility to 50MW early next year and targets to employ more than 150 people by the end of 2011.

The 117,000 square foot facility features state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing equipment and will initially focus on producing Suntech's 280W Vd-series modules, primarily used for commercial and utility-scale electricity generation. All modules produced at the facility will be compliant for procurement in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) projects. Suntech plans to expand the facility, in concert with the growing U.S. solar industry, to reach up to 120MW of annual production capacity. In addition, the local operation will bolster solar research collaboration between Suntech and Arizona State University.

"Our new U.S. manufacturing plant will provide a local platform to meet the burgeoning demand for solar products in the U.S. and Canadian markets, which we expect to exceed 1GW for the first time in 2010," said Steven Chan, President of Suntech America. "This new facility represents yet another milestone of our ongoing investment in North America. Aside from our manufacturing facility, we already have more than 75 people on the ground in North America, a dealer network that includes close to 400 partners, and we are continuing to grow. In fact, we are growing so fast that in the third quarter of 2010 alone we shipped more than our total 2009 shipments to the North American market."

Source : Press Release