Life After Silex for Solar Cells

28 Dec 11

Adelaide based Tindo Solar has opened its Solar Cell manufacturing plant, a month or so after the closure of Sydney based Silex.

A spokesman from Tindo Solar said the new plant was the culmination of many years work in design and development. The plant is said to have the capacity to produce a solar panel every two minutes running at full capacity, and be able to produce the solar panels at much the same price as those imported from China, with the use of automation and minimal labour.

It is also reported that the panel's safety features and the fact they produce 240 volt AC power, rather than more common DC voltage, are the products biggest points of differentiation and key selling features. To date around 60 companies in Australia have signed up to be distributors of the panels.

Although not a great generator of manufacturing jobs, this is still good news for South Australian manufacturing and Australia's solar industry which has been at the forefront of developing solar technology and innovation, but till now this has not flowed through to actual manufacture.

Tindo Solar is a proud example of how a manufacturing operation in Australia can be made competitive and viable through innovation in manufacturing practices.