California company to build solar manufacturing plant in Las Vegas Valley

A California company said Saturday that it selected the Las Vegas area for a manufacturing plant that will make the same kind of solar power cells that satellites use in space.

Amonix Inc., a private company based in Seal Beach, Calif., announced plans to build a $20 million manufacturing plant in the Las Vegas area.

The company will employ 278 workers making concentrated photovoltaic solar equipment, the same type of solar cells that are used to power satellites, said Chief Executive Officer Brian Robertson. The company typically sells its equipment to electric utilities and to large commercial installations.

Amonix made the announcement during a "flip the switch" dedication ceremony for the 308-kilowatt solar installation that Amonix sold to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for the River Mountain Water Treatment Facility in Henderson.

The solar system tracks the sun across the sky, making small adjustments every six seconds, he said. "Just like a sunflower, it follows the sun."

The water authority is paying $2.1 million for the solar power installation, but $250,000 of the total was spent for infrastructure that can be used for later solar generation expansion.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told attendees at the ceremony that the state needs businesses such as Amonix to diversify the economy, which is too reliant on the casino industry. Reid estimated that Southern Nevada has 10,000 workers employed in green power or renewable energy businesses.

Amonix received a $9.5 million investment tax credit this year from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which is also known as the stimulus act. The company intends to use $5.9 million of the sum to pay part of the cost of the manufacturing plant.

The plant will build photovoltaic panels that convert sunlight directly into electricity, unlike solar thermal systems that use heat from the sun to create steam for spinning generators.

Amonix equipment converts photons of sunlight directly into electrons of electricity, like standard photovoltaic systems installed on home roofs, Robertson said.

However, Amonix panels magnify and concentrate the photons by 500 times, unlike traditional photovoltaic systems.

As a result, Amonix panels need one-third of the land required for the same amount of power generation from a standard photovoltaic systems.

Standard and concentrated photovoltaic systems enjoy a big advantage over solar thermal systems, because photo­voltaic systems need no water for operation. Solar thermal power plants "use enormous amounts of water to make the energy," Robertson said.

Amonix systems also are environmentally friendly, he said. Desert tortoises and squirrels can continue to use habitat underneath Amonix panels mounted on pedestals. Concentrated photovoltaic solar is the best technology for use in hot, dry climates such as the desert Southwest, Robertson said.

Amonix decided to build its new manufacturing plant in Southern Nevada, he said, because "we wanted something that's close to where we're going to ship." The company builds 11-foot-by-49-foot panels for solar power production on the ground. Once delivered to a site, the solar equipment can be erected within three hours, he said.

The cost of concentrated solar photovoltaic power ranges from 12 to 15 cents a kilowatt hour, making it competitive with conventional natural gas-fired plants, he said.

To house the manufacturing operation, the company is considering three Las Vegas area buildings that contain more than 150,000 square feet.

The company has applied to the Nevada Commission on Economic Development for tax breaks available to new businesses coming to the Silver State.

Contact reporter John G. Edwards at jedwards
@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0420.