Jan 20 2010
Suniva, a manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells based in the U.S, announced that it has received $5.7 million in Recovery Act Advanced Manufacturing Tax Credits. This award was granted to the company to expand its solar cell manufacturing plant in Norcross, Georgia.
Suniva has two solar cell manufacturing production lines with a total capacity of 100 MW per annum at the Norcross plant, which it is currently operating. The company had started operating this facility in October 2008. In order to increase the solar cell production capacity, the company is taking steps to construct a third manufacturing line at this facility. The production capacity will increase by 75% with the addition of the third manufacturing line in the facility. In addition, the expansion will also create 50 jobs in 2010.
John Baumstark, Suniva CEO, said that the company had built the facility that is capable of producing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of solar products in just over a year. The facility has also created more than 130 green jobs. Baumstark added that the tax credits from the federal government will help the company to expand its production capacity to cater to the demands of the fast growing solar market in America.
Suniva’s founder and CTO, Dr. Ajeet Rohatgi, has developed the solar technology that is being used by company at the University Center for Excellence in Photovoltaics (UCEP). The company has installed its products all over the world including in a large-scale solar project in West Bengal, India. This project is India’s first large-scale solar project.
Source: www.suniva.com