Swiss solar cell and panel manufacturer Meyer Burger has entered into a supply agreement with D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI) to supply the U.S. developer with 3.75 to 5 GW of solar panels between 2024 and 2029. This significant supply agreement means Meyer Burger’s plans to open a panel factory in Goodyear, Arizona, are back on.

“With this agreement, Meyer Burger demonstrates that our high-performance heterojunction/SmartWire technology is also ideally applicable in the solar power plant segment. We are looking forward to expanding the partnership with DESRI in the long term,” said Franz Richter, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Meyer Burger.

Meyer Burger announced plans to open a U.S. manufacturing site last year, but things stalled as the United States debated solar manufacturing tax credits. Now with the Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Joe Biden with tax credits intact, Meyer Burger is exploring expansion options beyond its initial 400-MW annual capacity goal.

In order to meet the high demand for the distributed generation/rooftop sector and supply DESRI with panels for the utility market, Meyer Burger plans to reach 1.5 GW of production capacity at the Goodyear, Arizona, site. Lines will be split — 1 GW of larger solar panels for the utility market will be made each year, alongside 500 MW of solar panels for the DG sector.

Meyer Burger will also expand its solar cell production capacity at its German manufacturing site to meet the growing demand of solar panels in the United States.