Bila Solar, a Singapore based solar module manufacturer is investing $35m on a plant in Indianapolis, Indiana, which has the capacity to produce 1 GW of glassless, frameless solar modules. It plans to renovate an existing 150,000ft² facility at White River Parkway East Drive, Indianapolis. The plant, which is anticipated to be fully operational in summer 2024, will revitalise urban manufacturing by adding 240 jobs.
It will produce 5,000 modules per day and serve as the business’s US headquarters. The facility’s first product will be a lightweight solar module that combines crystalline silicon solar cells with aerospace composites. The product will be 95 per cent thinner and 30 per cent lighter than typical glass panels.
The solar modules are ideally suited for difficult applications such as low load-bearing commercial and industrial roofs and waterproof membrane roofs and can also be mounted on curved surfaces. Additionally, they can be combined into vehicles and give off-grid utilisation and access to solar power at previously inaccessible places.
REGlobal’s Views: The US is making efforts to reduce its import dependence and improve its supply chains in the solar module space. The passage of the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, which gives tax credits for both sellers and buyers of clean energy equipment, has led to a flurry of investments in the solar module manufacturing space. Many players have announced plans to set up new facilities to cater to the US market in the recent months.
