May 20 2010
Seal Beach, California-based Amonix Inc. is planning to construct a $20 million production facility in the region of Las Vegas for producing solar power cells.
This construction plan was announced by the company in Henderson during a dedication function for a solar installation having 308 kW capacity. This solar system was bought by Southern Nevada Water Authority.
The CEO of Amonix Brian Robertson commented that the new production facility will be used to produce concentrated photovoltaic solar systems, the same kind of solar cells utilized for powering satellites. Out of the $9.5 million investment tax credits that Amonix received from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, around $5.9 million is likely to be spent on the production facility in Nevada.
The equipment constructed at the plant, much like any other photovoltaic systems utilized on top of residential homes, will produce electricity by converting the sunlight’s photons. Most of the equipment is likely to be sold for large-scale commercial installations and to electric utilities.
A specific location for the facility has not yet been chosen. Amonix is considering three buildings in the region of Las Vegas for its production operation. All of these buildings contain over 150,000 sq. ft. Amonix has requested the Nevada Commission on Economic Development for tax credits available for novel businesses in Nevada State.
Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, commented that the renewable energy industry in southern Nevada employs around 10,000 people.