Meyer Burger Expands ‘Made in USA’ Solar Cells with 2 GW Colorado Springs Facility

Switzerland-based heterojunction solar panel maker Meyer Burger Technology AG recently unveiled plans to set up a high-performance solar cell manufacturing facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The establishment will have an initial production capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW) of solar cells per year.

Meyer Burger intends to use solar cells manufactured in the new plant exclusively for the company’s module production, which is currently being built in Goodyear, in the US state of Arizona.

The company plans to start production in the fourth quarter of 2024. The investment is supported by a tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act and related measures, as well as support from the State of Colorado and the City of Colorado Springs.

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In response to new regulations in the United States, Meyer Burger is expanding its strategy to focus on “Made in USA” solar cells. The US Treasury Department recently issued guidelines for domestic content qualification, enabling an extra 10 per cent bonus investment tax credit (ITC) for solar projects within the country. Meyer Burger’s move positions the company to capitalize on the benefits of the additional ITC incentive for U.S. solar projects.

The company statement reveals that the city of Colorado Springs and the State of Colorado are supporting the facility with almost USD 90 million, mainly in the form of tax credits, direct support, and discounted electricity and water rates. In addition, prepayments from module off-take partners and a loan from the US Department of Energy (DoE) of more than USD 300 million are also anticipated to contribute to financing Meyer Burger’s growth in the United States.

To expedite manufacturing in Colorado, Meyer Burger is redirecting production equipment initially designated for the 2 GW solar cell expansion at the Thalheim site in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany. By installing this equipment at the Colorado Springs facility, the company aims to meet the targeted completion date for the cell factory in 2024.

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A multi-gigawatt expansion in Thalheim is planned at a later stage as part of Meyer Burger’s successful application for the EU Innovation Fund. Favorable market conditions by ensuring a fair level playing field for European solar manufacturers through continued industry and market policy support in the EU are a prerequisite for such investments.