Feb 8 2011
Suniva, Inc., a U.S. manufacturer of high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon solar cells and modules, applauds the Department of Energy’s decision to extend the public interest waiver of section 1605 (the Buy American provision) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
In August 2010, the Department of Energy’s Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy determined that application of section 1605 restrictions would exclude some U.S.-made solar photovoltaic equipment from being utilized in solar installations that receive funds from the Recovery Act. The six-month waiver, which was extended today, allows both U.S.-assembled modules with foreign cells and foreign-assembled modules comprised solely of U.S. cells to qualify under the provisions of the Recovery Act.
“Suniva strongly supports the Department of Energy’s decision to extend the waiver and allow ARRA funding to be applied to solar modules that are composed solely of U.S.-made cells,” said Bryan Ashley, chief marketing officer, Suniva. “This is an important step by the Department of Energy to support American companies manufacturing the part of the solar supply chain that contains the highest value and most intellectual property – the cells. The extension of the Buy American waiver will continue to have a positive impact on the U.S. solar industry, solar project implementation and American job creation.”
The final assembly of solar modules is a relatively simple process of far less value than the manufacturing of the solar cells that power the module. As originally worded, section 1605 could be construed as only requiring that final assembly of solar modules occur in the U.S., regardless of what country other content is manufactured.