SEG Solar, a US solar module manufacturer has commenced commercial operations at its Houston facility with an annual production capacity of 2GW.
SEG Targets 5.5GW Capacity with New Facility
With the new PV manufacturing facility, SEG Solar plans to increase its global annual manufacturing capacity to 5.5GW by year-end complementing its existing module production sites in China, Indonesia and Thailand.
SEG Solar has successfully launched the first 585W YUKON N-series module from its production line making SEG one of the pioneering manufacturers to achieve module production in the United States.
“As a leading US solar company, SEG is proud to be among the first to respond to the call for domestic manufacturing by constructing a solar module factory in the US,” said Jim Wood, SEG Solar CEO.
SEG Solar highlighted that the facility will utilize 'automated intelligent manufacturing systems' along with 'advanced' enterprise resource planning (ERP) and manufacturing execution systems (MES) to track the origin of materials and components used in module production.
“The production lines are compatible with 182mm and 210mm N-type cells and are equipped with fully automated intelligent manufacturing systems ensuring seamless integration of automation, information and intelligence,” SEG said.
SEG Solar Commits $60 Million to New Solar Facility
The new solar module factory in Houston covering nearly 250,000 square feet (23,226 sq m) was constructed with an investment of around $60 million (EUR 55 million). SEG has announced that the factory is now fully operational and prepared to produce the latest high-efficiency N-type solar modules.
Image: Collected
“We don’t just want to make money. We want to build solar manufacturing in this country. We want to bring all of the supply chains to this country.” said Jun Zhuge, SEG Solar’s Chief Operating Officer.
SEG Solar to Launch R&D Center in Houston
The company aims to establish a global research and development (R&D) center at its Houston facility before the end of 2024. The centre will offer comprehensive testing services including Damp Heat tests, PID tests and Light and LeTID tests to ensure the reliability and performance of the modules under various environmental conditions. This center will also offer light-induced degradation (LID) testing, which has gained prominence recently.
A team of researchers from several U.S. institutions including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the University of California San Diego has developed a perovskite module designed to resist LID while maintaining a power conversion efficiency of 16%.
“The completion of the Houston plant marks a significant milestone for SEG and a major advancement in US module manufacturing technology. Looking ahead, SEG will continue to deepen its investments in wafers, cells and modules, closely tracking market trends to meet our customers’ needs,” added Wood.