PV manufacturer Silfab Solar is making a direct investment into Itek Energy LLC to initiate U.S. operations and to meet the growing demand for its solar panels. The investment brings together two big time North American PV companies and provides Silfab with additional manufacturing capacity at a facility already known for its high performance and attention to quality. Silfab says it will integrate its automation technology to Itek’s Bellingham, Wash., facility and add a second manufacturing line to more than double PV module production.
“This is a marriage of highly similar and very compatible visions – to produce the highest-quality PV modules that consistently outperform competing products in efficiency, endurance and long-term power performance,” said Paolo Maccario, COO and General Manager of Silfab. “Our products are already deployed in 33 states. A U.S. operation will now enable us to meet additional demands and customer appetite for U.S.-made solar modules.”
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“Itek looks forward to an exciting future with expanded capabilities and greater automation. Silfab is a leader in North American solar PV manufacturing. We can’t think of a better partner to accelerate expansion within the U.S. solar market to deliver leading-edge technological innovations,” said John Flanagan, President and Founding Principal of Itek.
Itek was founded in 2009 from a passion for creating U.S. jobs in clean energy. In 2014, it opened its second new facility in Minneapolis to provide local built solar modules to Minnesota. As of October of last year, Itek expanded operations again, opening a state-of-the-art flagship facility in Bellingham, Wash. — nearly tripling Itek’s U.S. manufacturing capacity.
Silfab’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Toronto, Canada, has helped pioneer smart module technology, glass on glass solutions and bifacial modules. Silfab continually invests in automating its manufacturing process, while dedicating technicians and engineers to focus on quality control and design. New manufacturing methods, such as fully automated bussing, has helped Silfab to drive down the price of solar modules by reducing production costs.
— Solar Builder magazine
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