JEDDAH: GE plans to build largest solar panel plant in the US and "will be up and running by 2013 with 400 workers," the company said in a statement Friday. The proposed plant will have 400 workers. Company officials said they plan to produce enough solar panels each year to provide electrical power to 80,000 homes. GE made the announcement after acquiring PrimeStar Solar, located in Arvada, Colorado. However, GE officials said they have not decided on a location for their solar panel plant yet. PrimeStar Solar started operations 5 years ago manufacturing thin-film solar panels. GE has owned an interest in the company since 2007. GE plans to invest $600 million into the new plant. The solar panels manufactured at the plant will have the capacity to generate 400MW in electricity. GE said producing solar panels on a large scale is key to driving costs down. In addition, an advantage of thin-film panels is that they are easier and cheaper to install on buildings because they can be rolled on. "For the past five years, we've been investing extremely heavily in solar," said Victor Abate, vice president for GE's renewable energy business. "Going to scale is the next move." The plant, whose location has not been determined.
