Houston-Area Solar Plant to Begin Production

A massive solar panel plant is set to begin production in its Houston plant in September. Imperial Star Solar, from Cambodia, spent $30 million renovating a 384,000 building in Tomball to get going on production in the US.

The factory will be at the 240-acre Interchange 249 business park developed by Houston-based Lovett Industrial. Imperial Star plans to hire 348 employees in the first three years of the plant’s operations. The plant is expected to produce 1.5 gigawatts worth of solar panels per year. Its total U.S. capacity could increase to 5 gigawatts by 2025.

The Texas factory will initially make PERC panels to satisfy current demand. PERC panels are modified silicon cells with an additional layer on the back. Because this extra layer is reflective, it can send unused light back to generate more energy. The company will eventually move into TOPCon solar panels, more common in the US, which are designed to reduce electrical losses and boost efficiency.