Company officials say manufacture of the tracker with the support of local industry in Connecticut and Ohio, will not only ensure expeditious delivery of North American orders, but contribute to the growth of jobs and the green economy in the United States.

“The manufacture of tracker systems in Connecticut creates jobs in the state where OPEL Inc.’s operations office is located and brings the ‘green economy’ to life as President Obama aims to do,” said Robert Pico, chief executive officer of OPEL International Inc.

OPEL’s TF-500, along with its full solar tracking product line, offers significant advantages in efficiency and production to any solar system. By using tracking systems, solar panels can generate up to 40 percent more electricity in the same location. Company officials said this is because the tracker allows the solar panel to follow the sun across the sky, maintaining the ideal 90 degree angle between the sun’s rays and the panel’s face. “On the Greening of America, we at OPEL are very happy to work with US suppliers on the TF- 500. The primary partner, Charles J. Dickgiesser & Co., is located here in the state of

Connecticut,” said Ed Linke, director of mechanical engineering for zPEL. “Working with a local company has many advantages especially for the development and manufacturing of our products. We have challenged Dickgiesser on price, quality, and delivery; and they have met

that challenge.”

We’re excited about our relationship with OPEL and being a part of the green energy revolution, said Ray Gildea, plant engineer at Charles J. Dickgiesser & Co. With so many industries downsizing in this economy, solar and wind power represent bright spots with potential for significant growth for many years to come.

OPEL’s TF-500 is designed for large scale applications such as utility grade solar farm installations. In fact, OPEL’s TF-500s have been installed in a large scale solar farm in northern California. A fully equipped TF-500 can support up to 6,400 watts of power with silicon flat plate panels and up to 7,560 watts of power using OPEL’s Mk-I HCPV panels.

According to OPEL officials, another advantage of its tracking system is that it requires fewer solar panels to produce a similar amount of electric power as fixed solar systems. Fewer solar panels means less land space required and a significant reduction in the cost of kilowatt hours produced.