DER - Solar

WATCH: A conversation with Heliene CEO Martin Pochtaruk
WATCH: A conversation with Heliene CEO Martin Pochtaruk
(Heliene CEO Martin Pochtaruk joined Renewable Energy World Content Director John Engel to discuss the new facility, global solar supply chain pressures, and the growth opportunity with heterojunction solar cell modules.)
Heliene heterojunction solar cell module (Courtesy: Heliene)

Canadian-based solar panel module manufacturer Heliene is taking another step in its mission to advance the North American supply chain with the launch of a new facility in Riviera Beach, Florida next month.

The Riviera Beach facility – the company’s third in North America – will be the only in the U.S. to manufacture super high-efficiency heterojunction solar cell modules, capable of delivering more power per unit areas, more units of electricity over the life of the module, and greater reliability compared to conventional high-efficiency modules.

Heliene is taking over the facility previously occupied by SolarTech Universal, which closed over a year ago, to produce its 66-cell HJT 370W module.

WATCH: Heliene CEO Martin Pochtaruk joined Renewable Energy World Content Director John Engel to discuss the new facility, global solar supply chain pressures, and the growth opportunity with heterojunction solar cell modules.

Martin Pochtaruk, CEO of Heliene, described the HJT facility as a “bet” by the company on the evolution of the industry– noting that monocrystalline PERC solar modules make up 95% of global manufacturing.

“We’re plateauing, coming to the maximum efficiency that this type of wafer cell can obtain,” Pochtaruk told Renewable Energy World in an interview. “So, what are the technologies going to look two years, five years down the line. There are two streams: one is the addition of another thin film to PERC, commonly known as TOPCon, and the other is heterojunction.”

Pochtaruk said, with the addition of the HJT facility, Heliene will be able to capitalize on both streams, pivoting between the two when necessary.

Heliene is currently accepting orders for the 66 cell Heterojunction 370W module (Courtesy: Heliene)

Heliene will begin manufacturing operations at the new 75,000 sq. ft. facility in September—increasing the company’s manufacturing capacity by an additional 100 megawatts.