Colorado Solar Plant To Create 300 Denver Jobs

DENVER — A Germany-based solar company plans to open its first North American manufacturing site in Denver.

Gov. Bill Ritter and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper joined officials from SMA Solar Technology for the announcement Monday. The company plans to start production next year with 300 employees and a capacity to expand the work force to 700.

The plant will be in east Denver with access to Interstate 70 and a rail line.

SMA produces solar inverters, which convert the direct current generated by residential solar panels into alternating current for the electrical grid.

Ritter has made Colorado's renewable energy industry a priority of his administration. Companies that have opened plants in the state include Danish wind-turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems.

Comments

[Rojellio]

12:52 AM on 11/10/2009

Is this actual manufactur­ing, or partial assembly?? We currently rely on the racist outsourcin­g to China of our pollution to partially manufactur­e products like this. It makes us feel good apparently­. I have asked the Governor this question many times. He has proven incompeten­t at answering.

[FrictionSoul]

07:34 PM on 10/26/2009

There has to be more than this tiny job. China is now the leader in renewable energy. How can we help you Gov. Ritter, apply pressure to Obama? It's not enough to have NREL's budget go up. It needs to go way up. We only have 10 years to reduce carbon emissions to dead zero.