SolarWorld Solar Panels to Power New Head Office of Leading U.S. Wind Turbine Manufacturer, Vestas
112-kilowatt system will push historical building in Portland, Ore., towards LEED Platinum
HILLSBORO, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Portland Mayor Sam Adams has announced that high-performance solar panels from SolarWorld, the largest U.S. manufacturer of solar technology for more than 35 years, have been selected to power the North American headquarters of Vestas, a leader in providing high-tech wind power systems. The move links two of the top U.S. producers of renewable energy systems and underscores the companies’ confidence in the vitality of American manufacturing and the value of sustainability.
The announcement came outside the 102-year-old Meier & Frank Depot building in downtown Portland, future home of Vestas’ continental head office. The building’s redevelopment will feature a 112-kilowatt photovoltaic system, the largest roof-mounted solar array in Portland’s central business district. The system will cap an impressive list of cutting-edge energy and environmental features that are expected to position the historical building on Northwest Everett Street to pursue LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification. The SolarWorld panels will supply about 12 percent of the building’s electricity needs.
Both SolarWorld and Vestas have their headquarters for the Americas in the Portland area. SolarWorld employs more than 1,000 workers at its main U.S. site in Hillsboro, Ore., and more than 250 in Camarillo, Calif., where it has operated a solar-panel manufacturing site since the late 1970s. Vestas employs about 400 people in Portland and 3,000 nationwide. The company, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in Portland next year, has sold more than 11,000 wind turbines in North America.
“As Portland seeks to become the capital of the global green economy, collaborations among our leading clean energy firms are key,” Mayor Sam Adams said on July 20. “I’m excited to announce this unique partnership. It’s an excellent example of how two companies can come together and make something great happen in Portland.”
Gordon Brinser, president of SolarWorld Industries America Inc., said, “Both SolarWorld and Vestas act on shared renewable-energy outlooks: We believe in U.S. manufacturing and workers, and we embrace a comprehensive approach to sustainability. We invest, build, hire, produce and ship in markets where we sell.”
When complete in spring 2012, the building will measure 172,000 square feet, including an addition on the fifth floor featuring an eco-roof terrace and garden and tenant and retail space on the first floor. The redevelopment team – led by renowned Portland sustainable development firm Gerding Edlen, which owns the building – includes general contractor Skanska, a world leader in sustainable building practices. E C Company of Portland designed and installed the solar system.
About SolarWorld (www.SolarWorld.com):
SolarWorld (ISIN: DE0005108401) is a worldwide leader in offering brand-name, high-quality, crystalline solar-power technology. Its strength is its fully integrated solar production. From silicon as the raw material through wafers, cells and modules all the way to turn-key solar systems of all sizes, the group combines all stages of the solar value chain. The central business activity is selling quality modules into the installation and distribution trades and crystalline wafers to the international solar cell industry. Group headquarters are located in Bonn, Germany. The group’s largest production facilities operate in Freiberg, Germany, and Hillsboro in the U.S. state of Oregon. Sustainability is the basis of the group strategy. Under the name Solar2World, the group supports care projects using off-grid solar-power solutions in developing countries, exemplifying sustainable economic development. Worldwide, SolarWorld employs more than 3,800 people. SolarWorld AG has been quoted on the stock exchange since 1999 and today is listed on, among others, the TecDAX and ÖkoDAX as well as in the sustainability index NAI.
About Vestas (www.vestas.com):
Vestas is the world leader in providing high-tech wind power systems. Since 1979, Vestas has supplied more than 43,000 wind turbines in 66 countries. Vestas sold its first wind turbine to North America in 1981 and has since supplied more than 11,000 turbines to the United States and Canada. The company's North American sales and service headquarters is in Portland, Ore. Vestas employs about 3,000 people the United States and 20,000 globally. Vestas’ global headquarters is in Randers, Denmark.
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