Chinese-Owned Solar Firm Lists Jobs for Eugene

Solar firm given warm reception
With Lane County unemployment at 14.2 percent, the new business is greeted with mostly open arms
By Sherri Buri McDonald – The Register-Guard – July 10, 2009

It’s not the leap that Portland and Salem took into the solar industry by landing major solar panel manufacturers. But a Chinese consortium’s plans to set up a hub here for solar panel sales in the United States could be Eugene’s first step into this emerging industry, said Desari Strader, executive director of the Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association.

“I know there’s another (solar) company kicking tires down there, as well,” she said.

Ocean Yuan is president of Centron Solar, a consortium of 30 Chinese solar businesses eager to gain a foothold in the potentially vast U.S. market.

Yuan told The Register-Guard on Wednesday that Centron Solar had leased a warehouse in west Eugene, assembled a management team of about 10 executives, and planned to hire up to 250 or 350 people in a year. About 200 to 300 of the positions would be “traditional white-collar jobs,” he said, and about 50 would be “green jobs,” assembling solar modules, or panels, for about $20 an hour, including benefits.

He said the consortium did not plan to set up major manufacturing or assembly operations in Eugene. Instead, the group plans to site assembly shops in multiple U.S. cities, closer to customers.

Centron Solar is moving quickly. It set up shop in Eugene two weeks ago, and on Thursday it launched its Web site, which listed seven open positions, including business development directors, technical support engineers and customer service representatives.

Chinese Startup Selects Eugene

Chinese startup based in Eugene wants to sell inexpensive solar panels in U.S.
by Amy Hsuan –  The Oregonian - July 09, 2009

A Chinese startup vying for a piece of the U.S. solar market has landed in Eugene, hoping to become a national player in the state’s growing photovoltaic industry.

Centron Solar, whose Web site went live Thursday morning, is moving fast to sell and distribute bargain-priced solar panels made in China to the U.S. market, expected to be the world’s next big solar player.

But the company didn’t even have a name until last month. It leased its Eugene headquarters and 25,000-square-foot warehouse within two weeks. Its first shipment of solar panels, worth $1 million, arrived from China just five days ago.

The company, the brainchild of Eugene resident Ocean Yuan, is moving so fast that it caught state economic development officials — and potential competitor SolarWorld — by surprise.

Chinese Solar Consortium to Put Sales Hub in Eugene

Chinese group plans local solar panel hub
Centron Solar’s planned sales site and assembly lines eventually could bring several hundred jobs to Eugene
By Sherri Buri McDonald – The Register-Guard – July 9, 2009

A consortium of 30 Chinese companies in the solar panel industry is setting up a U.S. sales hub in Eugene, the group’s president, Ocean Yuan, told The Register-Guard on Wednesday.

The group, named Centron Solar, has leased a 25,000-square-foot warehouse in west Eugene, has 10 high-level managers on board and has ambitious plans to grow to 200 to 300 employees in a year, Yuan said.

The group probably also will set up one or two solar panel assembly lines in Eugene, creating about 50 “green” jobs. Those positions would pay about $20 an hour, including benefits, he said.

The group’s members — mature manufacturers with proven technologies — have banded together to serve the vast potential market for affordable solar panels in the United States, Yuan said.

“Instead of coming in here by themselves and confusing the market with company names that the average American can’t even pronounce, we decided to combine forces and create an easy-to-pronounce, easy-to-remember name, which is Centron Solar,” Yuan said.

Bend’s Insufficient Infrastruction Discourages New Renewable Energy Companies

The following quote found in the article says it all.

If an Intel Corp. or a large solar panel manufacturer were to decide it wanted to locate a manufacturing plant in Bend with its current sewer and water capacity, the city would not be able to accommodate the company, said Roger Lee, the executive director for Economic Development for Central Oregon, which promotes growth in the region.

# # #

Bend’s future growth could be hindered by insufficient infrastructure
By Jeff McDonald - The Bulletin – May 1, 2009

The global recession will eventually turn around, but Bend’s pressing road, sewer and water needs could pose a more long-term problem if efforts to update them are not successful, economic development and city officials say.

Many systems are in need of upgrades and expansions after years of rapid growth, according to business groups, who say they’re working with city leaders to address the issue.

If an Intel Corp. or a large solar panel manufacturer were to decide it wanted to locate a manufacturing plant in Bend with its current sewer and water capacity, the city would not be able to accommodate the company, said Roger Lee, the executive director for Economic Development for Central Oregon, which promotes growth in the region.

“We are not ready,” Lee said about the potential to recruit a large utilities user like Intel or some renewable energy companies. “It has become very clear for a lot of (recruitment) projects that we have looked at in the last 12 months.”

Why Doesn’t Central Oregon Have a Renewable Energy Zone like the Columbia Gorge?

Why Doesn’t Central Oregon Have a Renewable Energy Zone?

Five Oregon and Washington counties that straddle the Columbia River have joined forces and become the Columbia Gorge Bi-State Renewable Energy Zone. Those counties are: Hood River, Sherman and Wasco Counties in Oregon and Klickitat, Sherman and Skamania Counties in Washington.

They claim that because it’s “centrally located in the Pacific Northwest, the Columbia Gorge is an ideal location for renewable energy production, manufacturing, and research. They go on to say that “The area offers qualities such as a broad inventory of industrial property, mutli-modal transportation, renewable energy technology training, a favorable business climate, and an unbelievable quality of life.” They go on to invite the reader to “explore the links above to learn about this world-class renewable energy region and opportunities to invest your business.  Including:

Workforce training – Affordable industrial lands – Quality of life
Favorable business climate – Multi-modal transportation”

Why Not Central Oregon?

Is there any reason why the counties of Central Oregon (Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson) couldn’t join forces and do the same?  It would be so easy to simply reword the above description/sales pitch to read:

Located in the heart of  Oregon, Central Oregon is an ideal location for renewable energy production, manufacturing, and research. The area offers qualities such as a broad inventory of industrial property, mutli-modal transportation, renewable energy technology training, a favorable business climate, and an unbelievable quality of life. Explore the links on our website to learn about this world-class renewable energy region and opportunities to invest your business. 

It should be noted that Central Oregon does have one county – Crook – that has a Rural Renewable Energy Development Zone designation.  Although that is an admirable effort much more could and should be done to establish Central Oregon – and all of its counties –  a leader in renewable energy development and education.

A Wind Farm Turbine Manufacturer Coming to Pendleton?

The first question that came to mind was why isn’t Central Oregon fighting to get these “unnamed” renewable energy businesses? Central Oregon has the same “cheap real estate” and “people hungry for jobs” as the area around Pendleton. Is Central Oregon missing the “Cowboy up!” attitude of the folks in Pendleton and La Grande?

The following is excerpts from the article.

# # #

Pendleton optimistic despite loss of RV plant
Several firms have shown interest in the site since Fleetwood announced its closure
By Richard Cockle – The Oregonian – March 31, 2009

The loss of a Fleetwood Travel Trailers of Oregon plant and its 253 jobs is bringing both pain and optimism to this Eastern Oregon rodeo and wheat town.

Sales clerk Mary Bonifer ran her fingers over a tooled leather belt in the Hamley & Co. store downtown while fretting about the idled workers and their families. She’s also worried about the impact of so many lost jobs on the rest of her town, population 16,830.

Still, a “Cowboy up!” attitude seems to pervade Pendleton, the home of the annual Pendleton Round-Up rodeo.

And there’s a chance that another manufacturer will move to the Fleetwood site. Within days of the company’s March 9 closure announcement, City Hall got at least 10 calls from distant corporations interested in Fleetwood’s two manufacturing buildings and 10 acres, said Tracy Bosen, economic development director for Pendleton.

“There are a lot of businesses that see these particular economic downturns as opportunities to relocate,” Bosen said. “Real estate is cheap, people are hungry for jobs, and cities and communities are willing to negotiate.”

The companies interested in Fleetwood’s buildings, which are just under 100,000 square feet each, include a wind turbine manufacturer, Bosen said, though he declined to name it. Eastern Oregon is fast becoming “wind turbine alley,” and the huge machines — many manufactured overseas — are going up by the hundreds around Pendleton, he said. “If there is a silver lining in this, a great facility has come open and it is available,” Bosen said.

Houk agreed, saying Pendleton is short on industrial space to attract outside companies. The Fleetwood site, he noted, is on flat ground that adjoins Interstate 84 and Union Pacific Railroad lines.

Fleetwood posted losses of $65.3 million in 2007 and $16.8 million last year. Even so, the closure announcement, in the midst of a national economic meltdown, was a shocker. It also left 162 workers jobless at a Fleetwood RV plant in La Grande, 50 miles to the east.

Green Energy is Green Like Money & Education

With green energy, Northwest can help itself
By Roger Ebbage – Register-Guard Guest Viewpoint – October 30, 2008

Opinion: Editorials & Letters:

As America confronts the current economic and energy crises, now is the time to invest in clean energy technologies that will build prosperity and fight global warming. Clean energy and climate solutions are the brightest prospect for driving economic recovery and sustaining long-term prosperity.

A recent report by the Political Economy Research Institute finds that investing in clean energy would create four times as many jobs as spending the same amount of money within the oil industry. Worldwide, $148 billion was invested in renewable energy and efficiency companies in 2007 — 60 percent more than in 2006.

Just this month, regional clean technology experts Clean Edge and Climate Solutions released Carbon Free Prosperity 2025, a report that shows the Northwest can generate more than 63,000 new family-supporting jobs by focusing on five clean technology areas: solar photovoltaic manufacturing, green building design, sustainable bioenergy, wind power and “smart-grid” technologies that improve the efficiency of our electric system and more easily integrate renewable energy. The Clean Edge report shows how the Pacific Northwest can seize a leadership role in the clean-tech economy.

Sanyo Solar to Build Solar Ingot Factory in Salem – How About Bend?

The three newspaper articles below clearly report that, although generous incentives were major selling points, other key reasons for Sanyo Solar of Oregon to build their plant near Salem were “relatively cheap power and a good, affordable work force”.  Bend / Central Oregon can claim the same advantages.

Sanyo chose about 20 acres of vacant city-owned property at 5475 Gaffin Road SE for its new plant. Salem wants to turn 79 acres along Gaffin Road into a renewable energy and technology park.

City and economic development officials hope the solar cell plant will encourage other energy companies and their suppliers to locate here.  At a special meeting of Salem City Council , councilors approved a ground lease and purchase agreement with Sanyo for the Gaffin Road location. Sanyo will pay about $1.74 million for the 19.77 acres.

Councilors also signed off on enterprise zone tax breaks for Sanyo, which provide tax abatement on new construction and equipment. They agreed to extend the standard three-year enterprise zone tax break to five years.

# # #

PV Powered Helps Power Democrats’ Convention

CO Renewable is all for solar power but there seems to be a bit of disconnect between the following article and a few basic facts. 

First of all, inverters do not produce power - a power inverter converts DC power or direct current to standard AC power or alternating current so the current can be used to power standard appliances, lights and the like.  So no, “PV Powered’s solar inverter is [not] providing the convention with three to four homes worth of power” but rather it’s converting the power already generated by solar panels.

The second apparent disconnect is the claim that PV Powered is “scrambling now just to build the products we are getting orders for” when just a few days ago PV Powered announced that they were laying off less than 10 employees (out of about 60) due to a decrease in demand for their inverters.

Nonetheless, CO Renewable is pleased that PV Powered had the opportunity to be involved with Barack’s campaign and that he Obama campaign walked the walk of the Democratic Party Platform and utilized renewable energy for their convention. Unfortunately it’s not surprising that the Republicans have not been as proactive as the Democrats.” CO Renewable believes that it will take a bipartisian approach to solve the energy challenges this country faces.

# # #

Bend solar firm helps power Democrats’ convention
Role follows Barack Obama’s visit to PV Powered
By Deanne Goodman – KTVZ.com – August 28, 2008

You see a lot of red, white and blue at political gatherings, but this week’s convention in Denver is going green. The Pepsi Center was using solar power, thanks in part to PV Powered in Bend.

The 30-kilowatt solar inverter has been offsetting the amount of energy used at the Democratic National Convention. Renewable energy is a hot topic at the convention, and this may be the first time a convention of that size has used alternative energy, including solar.

Bend’s PV Powered Lays Off Fewer Than 10

Unfortunately PV Powered suggested not that many months ago that they anticipated the possibility of a workforce of up to 600. 

# # #

Bend Solar Industry Takes Hit From Congressional Inaction
By Ethan Lindsey – OPB News – August 18, 2008

Bend and Central Oregon boast of 300 days of sun per year. That number is unconfirmed, but the sunny weather has led to the growth of a burgeoning solar industry.

Now several of the region’s biggest solar companies are struggling — and they blame the federal government – and one has laid off some of its workers.

In May, Barack Obama stopped by to praise Bend-based PV Powered.

But now, chief executive Gregg Patterson says he had to lay off some of his company’s 60 employees – fewer than 10 workers. 

Patterson says a program that helped people switch to solar is in jeopardy.

The 30 percent Federal investment tax credit is set to expire in December.

Gregg Patterson: “I find it horribly ironic and paradoxical that at the same time we are struggling with energy independence, that the Congress and the current Administration can’t solve this issue.”

Mike Hewitt’s company, E2Powered, installs solar equipment.

He says the looming deadline has actually helped his sales – as people try to get in under the wire.

But Hewitt worries about the long-term.

The solar industry estimates it could lose $19 billion if it does expire.

Congress could pass the credit next month – but may wait until a new Administration takes over.