News Article
Solar Frontier Starts Production At World’s Largest CIS Solar Module Plant
Commercial production on schedule at its gigawatt-scale Kunitomi factory
Solar Frontier has announced that it has started commercial production on schedule at its gigawatt-scale Kunitomi factory, the world's largest CIS thin-film solar module production plant, located in Miyazaki, Japan. Launched only 16 months after breaking ground in September, 2009, the new factory will approach full capacity this summer.
“The Kunitomi plant's manufacturing processes involve some of the most advanced production automation in the industry, as we aim to ensure the highest quality and reliability,” said Hiroshi Yoshida, Vice President, Manufacturing at Solar Frontier. “The panels manufactured at the Kunitomi plant will have higher output and be larger than ever before, too, saving significantly on the BOS costs of installed systems.”
Products manufactured at the Kunitomi plant have now obtained certifications on performance and safety issued by Japanese and European standards organizations, and U.S. certifications are expected soon, as the factory begins shipping worldwide.
Shigeaki Kameda, CEO of Solar Frontier commented that, “The scale of our automation will provide unprecedented manufacturing efficiency. With the plant running at full capacity, we will become very competitive worldwide. Based in Germany, the United States and Japan, Solar Frontier's expanding sales network and significant partnerships with global players will enable us to deliver economical and ecological next-generation CIS solar energy solutions to customers everywhere.”