PPG becomes only West Coast manufacturer of low-iron glass for solar industry
PITTSBURGH, Feb. 1, 2012 – PPG Industries’ (NYSE:PPG) flat glass business announced that it will expand production capability at its Fresno, Calif., plant to accommodate the manufacture of SOLARPHIRE(R) PV glass, an ultra-low-iron glass used to make components for the solar power industry.
Richard A. Beuke, PPG vice president, flat glass, said the production of Solarphire PV glass at the Fresno Works will make PPG the first and only manufacturer of low-iron glass on the West Coast and dramatically enhance the company’s ability to serve the region’s burgeoning solar power market.
“For decades, PPG has been the industry leader in low-iron glass technology,” Beuke said. “With demand for these products growing in California and the southwestern U.S., the ability to meet the delivery and service requirements of our West Coast customers has become a critical priority. The new capability at the Fresno plant is planned specifically to help address their needs.”
Scott Follett, global director, PPG Solar Performance Group, said the primary benefit of making Solarphire PV glass in Fresno will be reduced delivery times. “Unless customers have special orders, PPG should be able to make next-day deliveries throughout California and the southwest,” he said. “Shipping Solarphire PV glass from the East Coast, as we do now, usually takes three to four days. Going forward, we will have greater flexibility to meet customers’ inventory and production requirements.”
