Gov. Bill Ritter and Mayor John Hickenlooper today joined officials from SMA Solar Technology to announce the Germany-based company will open its first North American manufacturing site in Denver . This will be the largest solar inverter production facility in the United States and SMA’s first manufacturing plant outside of Germany .
Production is expected to start in 2010 with 300 employees and a capacity to expand to 700. The plant is located at Enterprise Park at Stapleton at Havana Street and Smith Road with easy access to Interstate 70 and a rail line.
“Together with Mayor Hickenlooper, we welcome SMA to Denver and to Colorado ’s New Energy Economy,” Gov. Ritter said. “SMA is a globally recognized leader in solar inverter manufacturing. The company’s decision to invest over $20 million in this site and to locate in Colorado emphasizes our growing clean-energy industry, the growing market for photovoltaics, and Colorado ’s success at transforming our energy future.”
“The decision by SMA to build a production facility in Denver is excellent news for our region and will provide a welcome boost to our local economy” Mayor Hickenlooper said. “This move helps solidify Colorado ’s place as a global leader in renewable energy under Gov. Ritter.”
“In the medium term, we expect the U.S. market to become the largest solar market globally,” said Günther Cramer, CEO of SMA Solar Technology. “With our new production facility in Denver , we will be able to reduce transportation and interim storage costs as well as currency exchange risks.”
SMA will produce the Sunny Boy, Sunny Central and Sunny Island solar inverters for the North American market. The inverters convert the direct current (DC) generated by residential solar panels into grid-acceptable alternating current (AC).
In addition to the state and city, other project partners include Metro Denver Economic Development Corp., Forest City Stapleton and Etkin Johnson Group.
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