Gigawatt-Scale Factory to be Built in Malaysia

SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWR), a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, today announced plans to build its next solar cell fabrication plant in Malaysia. When fully operational, Fab 3 is expected to have a nameplate rating in excess of 1-gigawatt of annual production capacity.

The new manufacturing facility is expected to be constructed in two phases, with the first phase comprised of 14 solar cell production lines with a nameplate capacity of 40 megawatts each. After completion of phase two, at a scale in excess of 1-gigawatt, Fab 3 is estimated to achieve materially lower capital cost per watt compared to SunPower's Fab 1 and Fab 2.

Solar cell production in Fab 3 is likely to begin in 2010, with the integrated site development planned to start later this year. SunPower will launch its manufacturing operations with its industry-leading 22 percent 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.

Labels: SPWR Solar factory "solar panels"

posted by IntoBlogs at 9:01 AM