Featured in Embracing change – 02-2024

Factories go vertical

Highly integrated, gigawatt-scale solar factories are springing up in India, the United States and Europe, as well as in China, reports Valerie Thompson. The drivers vary by location but the goal of ensuring a sustainable supply chain for the next terawatt of PV growth is universal.

By

Valerie Thompson

08 Feb 2024

Image: JinkoSolar

A trend of building vertically integrated solar factories is evident in China, the United States, India, and Europe. “It is a relatively young trend, to see the ingot-to-wafer-to-cell-to-module manufacturing being co-located,” said Peter Fath, chief executive officer of engineering services company RCT Solutions. “The industry swung away from highly integrated manufacturing facilities and now it is swinging back.”Fath, …

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