SunPower Corp., a manufacturer of solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, has announced plans to build its next solar cell fabrication plant in Malaysia. When fully operational, the facility is expected to have a nameplate rating in excess of 1 GW of annual production capacity.
SunPower says the facility will likely be constructed in two phases: the first phase comprising 14 solar cell production lines with a nameplate capacity of 40 MW each, and the second phase scaling up to and exceeding 1 GW. Production is slated to begin in 2010, with the integrated site development planned to start later this year.
The company adds that it will launch its manufacturing operations with its 22%-minimum-rated Gen 2 solar cells and expects to add production of its recently announced, higher-efficiency Gen 3 solar cells at a later date.
SOURCE: SunPower