Soitec (Euronext), a world leader in generating and manufacturing revolutionary semiconductor materials for the electronics and energy industries, announced the grand opening of its North American solar manufacturing facility in San Diego.

• Thanks to this new factory, Soitec will become one of the top three manufacturers of solar modules in the USA

Less than one year after the facility was acquired by Soitec, the factory is equipped with a state-of-the-art automated production line and is operational. The concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules produced in San Diego will support hundreds of MWp of contracts for utility-scale projects in California. In 2011, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved 300 MWp of PPAs which are expected to use Soitec’s Concentrix technology.

Soitec acquired the 176,000-square-foot manufacturing center on 14.8 acres of land in December 2011. This major project for Soitec represents an investment of more than $150-million. The company has completed on schedule an extensive upgrade of the facilities to install fully automated manufacturing equipment and processes. The first module was produced in October, and the first phase (140 MWp) of the production line is now operational, as initially planned. The factory has been designed to reach 280 MWp in capacity at full production.

M+W U.S., Inc, a subsidiary of the M+W Group - a leading global engineering and construction partner for technology-based clients and renowned in constructing solar cell manufacturing facilities, was the general contractor for the facility construction work. At the peak of construction, over 280 people were employed on the site.

The factory should create 450 jobs at full capacity, including employees for the joint venture Reflexite Soitec Optical Technology, LLC. This new company operates a manufacturing operation within the facility developing and manufacturing leading- edge silicone-on-glass (SOG) Fresnel lens plates used in Soitec’s CPV modules.

With this manufacturing plant, Soitec will become one of the top three manufacturers of solar modules in the USA. This will help Soitec provide cost-effective renewable energy systems and put the company in an ideal position to support its customers with a dedicated local team.