Suniva Inc., a manufacturer of high value monocrystalline silicon solar cells, announced on Nov. 4 that it began production of solar cells on its new 32MWp line in Norcross, Ga. The company also revealed plans to install a second production line next year with twice the manufacturing capacity of its first, bringing total production capacity of the Norcross facility to 96MWp by the middle of 2009.
The first factory will eventually feature a total capacity of about 175 MWp by early 2010 and will provide many new high paying cleantech jobs, according to the company.
The newly completed 32MW line produces Suniva's ARTisun solar cells, which are then delivered to module manufacturers to be assembled into some of the industrys most efficient solar modules. Suniva currently sells solar cells produced at the Norcross facility under existing customer contracts with companies including Solon AG and Titan Energy Systems LTD., totaling more than $1 billion.
Suniva will continue the partnership with centrotherm photovoltaics AG, international providers of technology and services, for the production of solar cells and solar silicon, to design and integrate a second, larger production line at the Norcross facility. Both lines will use uniquely configured, centrotherm integrated equipment and Suniva's patented fabrication techniques to produce high efficiency, low-cost monocrystalline silicon solar cells.
Suniva's manufacturing technique was developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology's University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaics.
