Monday, October 20, 2008

SolarWorld Starts up Oregon-Based Solar Cell Plant

German-based alternative energy firm SolarWorld announced Friday that it has opened a solar cell-manufacturing facility in Hillsboro, Oregon. SolarWorld claimed that the plant, which it purchased from Japan's Komatsu Group in March 2007 for $40 million, should achieve a maximum capacity of 500 megawatts by 2011. The plant, which will also double as SolarWorld's North American headquarters, produces solar cells from raw silicon. SolarWorld said it is investing more than $400 million into the Hillsboro location.