BUSINESSNEWS
MAGE SOLAR opens North American headquarters
MAGE SOLAR is progressing towards the opening of its new facility in Dublin, Georgia. MAGE SOLAR will invest $30 million to create 350 jobs within the next 5 years. The new North American corporate campus of MAGE SOLAR will be home to the company’s headquarters, a large manufacturing facility as well as a solar academy.
All administrative and operational processes necessary to serve the growing U.S. solar market will be managed by the new headquarters.
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The manufacturing facility for MAGE SOLAR’s crystalline photovoltaic modules will provide complete system solutions that will satisfy the market demand respectively. In the first phase, the production capacity will be 40MW with a total capacity of 800MW after the last stage of expansion. Due to the great potential of the American continent and the steadily increasing demand, the production of MAGE POWERTEC PLUS modules is scheduled to begin around the end of this year.
MAGE SOLAR also plans to build an
academy for solar education to promote solar knowledge and training.
“We are certain that we have found the perfect home for our company based on the excellent infrastructure as well as a business oriented leadership, who never lost focus of what is best for the future of Georgia, Laurens County and the City of Dublin,” said Norbert Philipp, CEO of the MAGE SOLAR Group.
Dublin’s strategic location, about half ways between one of the most well- connected airports in the world and the ever expanding Port of Savannah provides the solar company a logistic advantage as it plans expansion beyond the local region.
US solar expecting strong growth
DESPITE a challenging domestic economic environment, the US solar market grew 36% in 2009, according to the United States PV Market 2010 from Solarbuzz, part of the NPD Group.
This growth was, however, not nearly as strong as the region’s 62% growth in 2008. On a global scale, the country was ranked the third largest solar photovoltaic market, behind Germany and Italy.
“2009 marked a year of transformation for the US solar market,” noted Craig Stevens, President of Solarbuzz. “Changes in the roles of utility companies, new market entrants, lower cost PV modules from Asia and new direct-to- market approaches became more prevalent. As a result, solar companies doing business in the States will need to
adapt quickly to these challenges while also being responsive to frequent adjustments in the fragmented incentive and regulatory environment.”
California continues to play a critical lead as the base load state market for the US. The state accounted for 53% of US PV on-grid installations, and is expected to maintain its strong position in 2010.
Despite a slowdown in demand from the corporate sector across the U.S., government, residential and utility growth more than offset this effect. Price cuts in residential installations provided the foundation for steady growth across the country. A wide range of start-up markets in other states are well underway as new PV incentives were launched.
While there are utility barriers to be resolved, including regulatory restrictions on the use of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), the central policy thrust over the past 12 months remains positive. Sixteen states and Washington D.C. have enacted a Renewable Portfolio Standard with solar or DG set-asides to promote PV. Fulfillment of solar set-aside obligations drove around 30% of total on- grid PV installations in 2009.
The primary focus of the North American subsidiary will be on the domestic market, long term however, MAGE SOLAR is also considering serving the international market outside the U.S.
“We are pleased to welcome MAGE SOLAR to Georgia as we celebrate another headquarters coming to our state. MAGE gives us the opportunity to expand our leadership position and industry competitiveness in the renewable energy sector,” said Governor Perdue. “The growth of renewable energy is important to our state and nation, so I believe MAGE SOLAR will be successful for years to come in Dublin.”
Its unique workforce training program Quick Start as well as its overall business- oriented climate make Georgia an attractive state for locating corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities.
In addition, Georgia is also home to the Center of Excellence for Photovoltaics Research and Education at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Known for its research in clean, renewable energy sources, it is only one out of two centers of its kind nationwide.
www.solar-pv-management.com Issue V 2010
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