Feb 11 2011
Suniva has been highly appreciative of the Department of Energy’s extension of the public waiver of section 1605 of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in DOE in August 2010 established that applying the section 1605 restrictions would leave out some of the solar PV equipment made in the US from being used in solar installations that get funds from the Recovery Act. The waiver for six months was extended and this would allow both foreign assembled modules made with US cells and assembled modules with foreign cells made in the US to be eligible under the Recovery Act.
According to Bryan Ashley, Suniva’s Chief Marketing Officer, Suniva supports DOE’s decision to extend the waiver and also permit ARRA finance to be applied only to solar modules composed of US made cells. He further mentioned that this was a significant step taken by DOE to support those American companies that manufacture cells, which are the most important part of the solar supply chain. This extension would have a positive influence on the solar industry in the US and also on the job market and solar project implementation in the US.
The manufacture of the solar cells that power the module is a complex process when compared to the final assembly of the solar module. Section 1605’s original wording would be applicable, which indicates that the place of manufacture of the modules is unimportant and what is necessary is that the final assembly of the solar modules should be carried out in the US. Suniva with its diverse, expanding and skilled employee base produces world-class technology products and generates extraordinary screen printed solar cell efficiencies in the manufacturing units and in the laboratory.
Suniva is based in Atlanta and manufactures high power solar modules and high efficiency monocrystalline silicon solar cells employing low cost methods.