SunPower relaxing Hillsboro panel assembly plant

• SunPower is to permanently close its solar panel setting up plant in Hillsboro, Oregon with the loss of around 170 jobs.

SunPower had spun-off its loss-making manufacturing operations to Maxeon Solar Technologies in August 2020, except the little assembly plant in Hillsboro, which the company acquired from SolarWorld after the German solar producer got in insolvency. Sunpower had actually transformed a small section of the facility to generate its P Series panels using Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) and also its copyrighted 'roof shingles' cell adjoin technology.

The Hillsboro facility began producing the P Series modules in February 2019 as well as had a capability of around 120MW.

" We made the tough yet needed decision to shut our plant after careful analysis as well as the change in emphasis of our business over recent months," said Tom Werner, CEO and chairman of the board of SunPower. "We acknowledge just how hard this is for all the staff members influenced and also are committed to helping them through this change."

SunPower said that it expected to cease procedures in Hilsboro by March 2021 and finish the wind-down of the center in early June. However, the company said that it would certainly check out various other alternatives such as selling the center as well as discover a joint venture alternative.