Houston-area solar power plant to begin production

A massive solar panel factory is expected to begin production at its Houston plant in September. Cambodia’s Imperial Star Solar spent $30 million renovating a 384,000 m² building in Tomball to start production in the United States.

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

The Texas plant will initially manufacture PERC panels to meet current demand. PERC panels are modified silicon cells with an extra layer on the back. Because this extra layer is reflective, it can reflect unused light back to generate more energy. The company will eventually move into TOPCon solar panels, more common in the United States, designed to reduce electrical losses and increase efficiency.