Our technology offices are committed to supporting manufacturing innovation across all sectors.
In the last year, for example, U.S. solar PV module manufacturing tripled to reach 7,7 gigawatts per year.
As EERE assistant secretary, I was eager to witness this progress. In November 2019, I visited First Solar’s highly automated production facility in Ohio. First Solar produces CdTe thin-film modules. This is the second most common PV technology after silicon.
In the early 1990s, the predecessor of First Solar, Solar Cells, Inc., worked with a National Renewable Energy Laboratory team to develop CdTe solar cells. The U.S. Department of Energy awarded funding to the company for testing its modules at NREL and scaling up production. First Solar has gone from one 50-megawatt module manufacturing plant in 2008 to two plants across the United States that produce nearly 2 GW of manufacturing capacity. This represents a quarter of U.S. module production.
First Solar’s production facility can produce a module in just 3.5 minutes, a high output rate. The facility is just a few miles from the R&D laboratory, making it easy to exchange information and insights. First Solar also contracted with its supplier of glass to build a glass factory nearby, which will help reduce shipping costs and improve processes faster. It could create as many as 150 jobs.
First Solar has a supply chain that is located in the United States. The company is looking for more local suppliers of materials and equipment to assist with maintenance and operations. This effort aligns with DOE’s goal to increase the speed, extent, and efficiency of U.S. Manufacturing to benefit the U.S. economy.
The Solar Energy Technologies Office of EERE is responsible for developing and validating innovative products. The office recently announced 40 million dollars in funding for 20 manufacturing-focused projects. The projects include product ideas that can lower solar costs quickly and achieve commercialization. They also have research that advances materials and manufacturing in concentrating power and solar manufacturing. The American Made Solar Prize is also a $3 million competition that will strengthen U.S. manufacturing. In my post on launching innovations, you can learn more about the first round of the prize and other EERE awards.
The U.S. installed over 2 million solar energy systems today, thanks to an 82 percent decrease in module prices from 2010 to 2018. Innovation is essential for American solar panel manufacturers to remain competitive in an energy landscape that is rapidly changing. It is EERE’s mission to drive this innovation.