May 2011 - Amtil

Industry News
Carbon price talk puts solar on front burner
Australian clean energy company SilexSolar has ramped
up production of solar cells and modules by 300% at its
Sydney Olympic Park plant, driven by household demand.
Australia’s only manufacturer of solar cells, SilexSolar
recently introduced a new factory direct online service for
retailers of PV panels, cutting costs for energy-conscious
consumers and maintaining a competitive edge against
imported solar modules.
SilexSolar General Manager Rod Seares said that the success
of SilexSolarDirect combined with high profile media
discussions around the carbon tax were driving awareness
of the benefits of clean power.
“People are increasingly conscious that they will need
to address energy prices literally in their own backyard,”
Seares said. “We recently installed a new assembly robot and
one of the largest laminators in the Southern Hemisphere,
which means we are well equipped to handle this growth
in throughput -- it is tremendously exciting.
“As Australia’s only solar cell manufacturer, we are delighted
both to see demand growing for our solar modules
and to continue our drive towards lower production costs.”
SilexSolar employs over 100 people at Olympic Park,
where production was increased to 24 hours a day, seven days
a week some months ago in anticipation of rising demand.
“Expanding employment opportunities at Australia’s only
solar cell facility is a privilege,” Seares said. “Hundreds of
jobs were nearly lost when the former owners closed the
plant in 2008. Not only did we save the facility, we have
expanded and improved the infrastructure and are working
on new models with even greater efficiency. We are just
getting started.”
Whilst the Australian solar market has seen growth of
up to 400% in recent years, it remains extremely volatile
due to its reliance on State and Federal support.
“Like many other businesses in Australia who are working
towards a clean energy economy, stability is key.”
www.silexsolar.com.au
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12 May 2011 Australian Manufacturing Technology