San Diego, Calif. — Kyocera Solar has started manufacturing solar modules at its operations in San Diego, Calif., to meet growing demand in the U.S. market. The U.S. module production line is expected to help Kyocera meet its global production volume target of 1,000 megawatts (1 GW) of solar cells per year by March 2013, which is enough to supply 3.5-kilowatt solar electric generating systems for about 285,000 homes each year.
The new solar manufacturing line has an initial production target of 30 megawatts per year. Initial production includes solar modules ranging from 210 watts to the company’s latest flagship 235-watt modules.
Solar energy has become Kyocera’s fastest-growing business globally, with the company expanding production capacity aggressively to meet growing worldwide demand, said the company. In addition to the new production operations in San Diego, Kyocera currently has solar module production facilities in Japan, China, the Czech Republic and Mexico.
“We’re pleased that our newest production operation is up and running today, according to schedule — a move that will allow us to meet increasing demand for innovative solar products,” said Steve Hill, president of Kyocera Solar, Inc., in a statement. “Kyocera’s solar solutions go beyond residential rooftops — we specialize in transforming unused spaces, even parking lots and water-treatment facilities, into self-contained solar-electric generating systems that benefit communities and our planet.”