Toledo and Northwest Ohio’s involvement in solar energy production added another player with the announcement of plans to develop an advanced polycrystalline silicon production facility at UT’s Center for Advanced Renewable Energy.

Officials of Sphere Renewable Energy Corp. based in California announced plans to develop a wholly-owned subsidiary, Buckeye Silicon (BeSi) in Toledo at UT June 23.

The company plans to become operational for mass production by the third or fourth quarter of 2010 if all the pieces fall into place, according to Mark Erickson, COO of Buckeye Silicon and senior vice president of Sphere Renewable Energy.

“The partnership of all the organizations involved in the process, the confluence of transportation modes including the port, rail and highways, and the alternative energy programs at UT all added up to making Toledo a good place to come,” said Erikson before recognizing the area’s other solar energy businesses.

The partnership that signed a Memorandum of Understanding included the City of Toledo, Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, and the university. The Regional Growth Partnership and State of Ohio helped the company identify possible financial incentive opportunities.

UT’s alternative energy programs and the Center for Advanced Renewable Energy was another contributing factor in the decision. UT is second only to MIT when it comes to alternative energy research and technology, according to Erickson.

The production facility would require about 100 employees, primarily skilled engineers and machine operators with salaries ranging from $36,000 to $60,000, Erickson said.

“Toledo is an outstanding community with the human resources that readily can be applied to our manufacturing business,” said Harrison Choi, president and CEO of BeSi.

Polycrystalline silicon is a key component and essential raw material used to produce 90 percent of the photovoltaic solar cells currently being manufactured, according to BeSi officials. The product made in Toledo will be sold predominantly to photovoltaic solar cells currently produced in North America and Europe.

With the addition of BeSi’s manufacturing presence, the Toledo area will be capable of boosting its photovoltaic production portfolio. The company’s light industrial modular process requires much less space and energy than a traditional polycrystalline silicon production facility.

“Buckeye Silicon’s presence in Toledo will create new alternative energy jobs and also supply the solar industry with crucial raw materials required for the production of solar panels,” said Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner.

UT President Lloyd Jacobs welcomed Buckeye Silicon to the city and university as it “joins a growing number of firms playing an important role in building the critical mass in solar and alternative energy in this region to make our economic development central to this nation’s alternative energy future.”

Vice President Joe Biden visited Willard and Kelsey Solar Group in Perrysburg Tuesday morning to recognize the alternative energy field by offering federal stimulus funds for the firm’s expanding solar production plant.

President Barrack Obama emphasized the importance of developing alternative energy in the U.S. during a televised press conference June 23.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 at 4:25 pm and is filed under Toledo Business Link.
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