Sunman’s Bila Solar, a lightweight solar panel manufacturer based in China, is expanding its operations to the United States with the opening of a new manufacturing division in Indianapolis. The company plans to establish a 1-gigawatt (GW) solar panel factory in Indianapolis, which is expected to commence operations by mid-2024.
Sunman, founded in 2014, has already made a mark in the renewable energy industry with 500 megawatts (MW) of solar installations across Asia, Australia, and Europe. It is worth noting that Sunman’s founder, Zhengrong Shi, was also the founder of Suntech Power, a pioneer in the solar panel manufacturing sector. Sunman specializes in producing frameless and glassless solar panels that are particularly well-suited for challenging applications such as low load-bearing roofs, membrane roofs, and vehicles. These innovative and lightweight solar panels will be incorporated into the Bila Solar plant in the United States.
The new Bila Solar venture in Indianapolis is expected to create 240 job opportunities, a positive development for the local economy. To facilitate its expansion, Bila Solar will invest $35 million in renovating a former Eli Lily facility located just south of downtown Indianapolis. Mick McDaniel, Vice President and US General Manager of Bila, expressed excitement about starting the Bila Solar journey in Indianapolis, highlighting the central urban location, diverse workforce, and entrepreneurial spirit as key factors in their decision.
Bila Solar’s lightweight solar panel design features half-cut crystalline silicon solar cells laminated between polymer sheets, with the junction boxes positioned on top. These panels weigh about 17 lbs and can be easily attached without the need for penetrations. This marks a significant development for the US market, as the country has not had flexible solar panel manufacturing capabilities since the closure of two Hanergy-owned factories in 2019 and 2020. Previous manufacturers in the US, such as MiaSolé and Global Solar, primarily focused on flexible thin-film solar panels, which faced challenges in breaking through the silicon-dominated market. Bila Solar, on the other hand, opts for silicon solar cells in their glassless solar panel design.
While Bila Solar pioneers this glassless solar panel technology, another US-based startup called Merlin Solar also incorporates silicon in their flexible panel designs. However, Merlin Solar primarily caters to the adventure market, focusing on applications such as vehicles, off-grid solutions, and camping.
The establishment of Bila Solar’s factory in Indianapolis signifies a step forward for the US solar energy sector and promises to revolutionize solar panel technology. The company’s lightweight and innovative solar panels will offer new possibilities for installations on structures with low load-bearing capacity, as well as applications in the transportation sector. With the creation of new jobs and the adoption of clean energy solutions, Bila Solar aims to make clean energy more accessible to all.
