Siliken Renewable Energy Announces Expansion of Local Workforce and Manufacturing Operations

Sept. 27, 2010 - PRLog -- SAN DIEGO, CA (September 27, 2010) - Siliken Renewable Energy, a global leader in engineering, procurement, construction of turnkey solutions and development of commercial and utility scale photovoltaic (PV) systems, today announced that its manufacturing facility in Otay Mesa, California has more than doubled capacity and production capabilities of American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) compliant PV modules. As the demand for solar power intensifies, Siliken has increased production resulting in annualized local capacity of 30 megawatts (MW) which contributes to a global capacity of approximately 300 MW.  The amplified sales volume has led the company to expand operations by doubling their local workforce from 60 to over 130 employees.

The ramp-up in production is a direct result of Siliken establishing strong market position in both existing and newly developing PV markets across the U.S., including California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, New Jersey and Minnesota, and in Canada and Mexico.

Recent contracts which underscore the appetite for U.S. manufactured product include The City of Chula Vista’s municipal building project, which will help the City meet its established environmental and economic goals. In the current phase of the City’s solar project, almost 500 kW of Siliken solar PV panels will be installed at 11 municipal sites, generating over $110,000 of annual cost savings.

“We are pleased to partner with a local business like Siliken in order to help our city greatly expand its renewable energy portfolio and create jobs in the region,” said Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox.  “Chula Vista has been a regional and national leader in climate protection and energy-efficient programs for years, and we hope our efforts and accomplishments will influence the broader community.”

The City is also working with Siliken to identify opportunities to install up to 1.1 MW of additional solar PV systems to help the City offset 20 percent of its municipal facility energy demand through on-site renewable energy systems.

Siliken is currently the only solar manufacturer in San Diego. The company has commissioned the world’s largest crystalline PV solar plant in Europe, with an installed capacity of 60 Megawatts.

The Spanish solar company established operations in San Diego two years ago during the depths of the economic recession to invest in the booming local renewable energy sector. While California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) was beginning to gain visibility, the state welcomed the company’s international relocation to support progress in green-clean innovation.

“San Diego was an attractive base to headquarter our North American operations because of the county’s statewide leadership in adopting and installing solar technology, favorable state level legislation [AB 32] and the California Solar Initiative (CSI) project,” said Scott Sporrer, General Manager of Siliken Renewable Energy. “By establishing policy which provides companies with long-term visibility into market demand, California has created an attractive environment for manufacturers and system integrators to service local markets through local operations.”      

Siliken’s high-efficiency solar products are utilized for residential applications as well as large-scale and utility projects. The company’s comprehensive “turnkey” solutions for Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) projects incorporate the knowledge, technology and equipment required to ensure the best configuration, design and value of each installation.

To learn more about Siliken Renewable Energy and its San Diego solar panel manufacturing facility, please visit www.silikenusa.com.

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About Siliken Renewable Energy, Inc.
Siliken Renewable Energy is engaged in the business of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), turnkey solar solutions, sale and development of commercial and utility scale, grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) solar systems. Siliken has extensive vertical integration by manufacturing its own electronics-grade silicon, racking solutions and production equipment and PV solar panel modules. Siliken panels power one of the world’s largest PV solar parks a 60MW facility located in Europe.