Evergreen Solar Inc. plans to transition assembly of its solar modules from its Devens, Mass., facility to a China-based factory.
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‘Panel prices have fallen over 30% since mid-2008, making it very difficult for manufacturers located in high-cost regions to remain price-competitive,’ notes Richard M. Feldt, chairman, CEO and president. ‘Therefore, we are accelerating our strategic initiative of increasing the focus on our unique wafer manufacturing technology, and we will begin to transition our Devens-based panel assembly to China in mid-2010.’
The company will continue to produce wafers and cells at the Devens plant. Meanwhile, it has finalized agreements with Jiawei Solar and the Wuhan, China Government's Hubei Science & Technology Investment Co. Ltd., under which Evergreen Solar will manufacture wafers at a leased facility currently being built by Jiawei in Wuhan, China, on Jiawei's campus. Jiawei will convert the wafers into Evergreen Solar-branded panels on a contract manufacturing basis beginning in the spring 2010.
SOURCE: Evergreen Solar Inc.
