This agreement is the first step in SunPower’s long-term strategy to implement regional panel assembly for enhanced customer service and decreased costs. SunPower is also continuing to asses establishing localized manufacturing plants in solar markets in the US.
Separately, Jabil Circuit will partner with SunPower in the company’s participation in the Solar America Initiative (SAI), a U.S. Department of Energy effort to speed up the development of advanced solar energy technologies. SunPower has participated in the SAI since September 2007. SunPower and Jabil Circuit plan to asses establishing panel and system manufacturing locations in the US that would create skilled jobs.
We are in the process of ramping production capacity to manufacture solar panels in Europe and North America for customers in those markets, said Brian Althaver, Jabil’s vice president for strategic development. This agreement gives us the opportunity to use our capabilities to provide manufacturing solution in close proximity to solar markets.
