A years-in-the-making solar panel assembly outfit in College Station, Texas, is now officially in operation but with a twist — all solar panels coming off the lines will be used in projects developed by the parent company.
US Modules‘ first production line can produce 400 MW of utility-scale solar panels annually. A second line should be commissioned by this summer, and the 150,000-sq-ft facility has room to scale to 1.4 GW of annual production.
US Modules is supported by Carey International Group (CIG), a holding company focused on sustainable energy and real estate infrastructure. In addition to a private-class airline and luxury real estate firm, CIG also funds solar project. The company has over 3.5 GW of utility-scale solar in active development, and CIG needs American-made, FEOC-compliant solar panels.
“We’re 100% owned and controlled here in the U.S.,” said Charles Carey, founder of US Modules, in an interview with Solar Power World. “Our family office owns the majority of these projects, with no outside influence, and that is our focus for US Modules.”
CIG and its independent power producer SMYX Energy have completed a few mid-size projects throughout Texas, and Carey said even larger projects will come online in ERCOT by the end of the year, with some panels supplied by US Modules. The company is making 545-W PERC panels.
US Modules today employs 50 workers, and more are being onboarded for additional shifts. Carey said there is no worry of a slowdown for US Modules, as CIG’s demand is higher than what can be currently supplied.
