Case Study: SolAero Technologies

SolAero is a homegrown company started in 1997 with technology from Sandia National Laboratories.  In 2017, SolAero Technologies moved manufacturing operations from California to Albuquerque with the help of JTIP. It is the parent company of Alliance Spacesystems and one of the world's leading manufacturers of highly efficient radiation hard solar cells, Coverglass Interconnectied Cells (CICs), and solar panels for space applications.  In 1998 the company developed and commercialized a 23% efficient dual-junction solar cell in 12 months.  In SolAero's first three years it drove the displacement of silicon solar cells as the primary source of space power after it had been in continuous use since 1958.  SolAero currently manufactures 300,000 flight solar cells annually.  SolAero products currently power more than 320 satellites in orbit.  Approximately 1,000 more satellites are scheduled to launch in the next few years.

This expansion project is a result of a contract with OneWeb Satellites, which will be a constellation of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites.  The constellation will be a global gateway to affordable internet access worldwide. 

SolAero has facilities located in Los Alamitos and San Diego, California, and Albuquerque.

About the Albuquerque Facility

• World's largest space solar cell production line
• 12,000 m^2 Cleanroom Facility
• Production capacity of  ˃500 kWe per year for space missions
• Solar panel facility is a Class 10,000 cleanroom with 7 meter high ceilings and houses our LAPSS, TVAC, LED Solar Simulator and other ATP/QTP facilities

About the Expansion

• 100 new high-tech jobs
• $10 million private investment
• 40,000 square foot building renovation creating a vertically integrated solar panel manufacturing facility

Economic Development Toolbox

• JTIP commitment of $182,090 for new employee training
  
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