Summary:

The North America Solar panel manufacturer, Silfab Solar is investing around $4 million in order to boost production at its assembly plant in Washington. This investment is leading to 20-40 new solar jobs.

Main Article:

Silfab Solar is Adding 20-40 New Manufacturing Jobs in the US

North American solar panel manufacturer, Silfab Solar is investing around US$4 million to boost production at its assembly plant in Washington State that could lead to extra jobs.

The Washington State Department of Commerce and Port of Bellingham announced that Silfab Solar had committed to expanding its current operations on the Bellingham waterfront and provided a US$250,000 economic development grant to support the ramp and garner between 20 to 40 new solar jobs.

“Clean electricity is the foundation of Washington’s clean energy economy,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “Silfab’s leadership will help us build the cleanest energy grid in the nation and realize our goal of 100% clean electricity by 2045.”

“Silfab remains committed to ongoing investments to improve product innovation and increase our footprint of quality manufacturing within the U.S.,” said Paolo Maccario, CEO Silfab Solar. “Silfab supplies some of the best solar companies in the United States. This support from the state of Washington and Port of Bellingham will further increase Silfab’s solar production to deliver premium U.S.-made solar modules to meet our partners’ growing demand.”

In late 2019, Silfab Solar had installed a full-size industrial production tool for the manufacturing of back-contact solar panels from Eurotron at the Bellingham facility to be able to fabricate both full-size back contact solar modules as well as half-cell solar modules.

The US received a boost in manufacturing jobs in 2019, primarily from large solar module assembly plants starting production, which included First Solar, JinkoSolar and Hanwha Q CELLS (Korea). 

Q CELLS plant in Dalton, Georgia at 1.7GW is the currently the largest in the US, responsible for most of the 30% increase in solar jobs in the state last year, according to new figures released by the Solar Foundation.

The US received a boost in manufacturing jobs in 2019, primarily from large solar module assembly plants starting production, which included First Solar, JinkoSolar and Hanwha Q CELLS (Korea). 

Q CELLS plant in Dalton, Georgia at 1.7GW is currently the largest in the US, responsible for most of the 30% increase in solar jobs in the state last year, according to new figures released by The Solar Foundation.

However, a second First Solar plant is to open in 2020, enabling the CdTe thin-film solar panel maker to become the largest solar manufacturer in the US.

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