SoloPower, a San Jose, Calif.-based manufacturer of flexible thin-film solar cells and modules, has received a conditional commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Office for a $197 million loan guarantee.
The funds will support construction of a facility that, when completed and at full capacity, is expected to produce approximately 400 MW of thin-film PV modules annually.
SoloPower announced earlier this year that it had come to an agreement to construct its first large-scale, high-volume manufacturing plant in Wilsonville, Ore. Retrofit of the existing building is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of this year. According to the company, the factory is expected to provide direct employment to approximately 500 people once it is running at full capacity. About 270 construction jobs will be created to build the plant, and additional jobs are also likely to be generated in the local supply chain.
SOURCE: SoloPower
