ARRA Compliant Solar Photovoltaic Equipment

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) allocated $787 billion in stimulus funding through tax credits, contracts, grants, loans and entitlements.   Under Section 1605 of the legislation, stimulus-funded public works projects must adhere to “Buy American” requirements for “all iron, steel, and manufactured goods.”  A small portion of ARRA funds have been designated to renewable energy projects for public buildings and public works projects.  Accordingly, these projects must include ARRA-compliant equipment.

In addition, President Barack Obama signed a $725 billion act in January mandating that the Department of Defense purchase ARRA compliant “Buy American” solar panels.  The “Buy American” provision calls for solar panels to be manufactured in the United States or any other country that has signed the World Trade Organization’s side agreement on government procurement, negating the use of Chinese-made solar equipment in public projects.

I haven’t been able to locate a resource that includes all photovoltaic (PV) equipment that meets the “Buy American” requirement.  I have assembled a working list below of solar modules, inverters, and mounting equipment that I believe are ARRA compliant.  However, I recommend you speak with the manufacturer or a distributor about obtaining documentation establishing compliance with this requirement.  The information below is subject to change and I appreciate any information related to additions or deletions to this list.

Solar Modules

Evergreen Solar – MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE – The ES-A panels were previously manufactured in Devens, Massachusetts, but Evergreen announced in January that the plant was closing and production will be moved to China.

Exeltech – Equipment is manufactured 100% in Fort Worth, Texas.

Kyocera Solar–With its PV cells manufactured in Japan, modules manufactured in Mexico, and the majority of materials sourced from America, Kyocera asserts their equipment is ARRA-eligible.

Schuco USA – In Q4 2010, Schuco started shipping 235-watt polycrystalline ARRA compliant modules.

Sharp Solar – All Sharp modules are manufactured in America and Japan and meet the “Buy American” clause requirements.

SolarWorld – SolarWorld Sunmodules are made in the USA and use American materials and components fulfilling the Buy America requirements.

Solyndra – All design and manufacturing for its PV equipment is done in Solyndra’s Fremont, California facility.

Suntech – The 280 Vd-series solar modules are manufactured in Suntech’s new facility in Arizona.

Uni-Solar – With all cell production and a majority of raw materials coming from the US and the rest of manufacturing activities happening in Mexico, Uni-Solar PV equipment meets “Buy American” requirements.

Inverters

Exeltech – Equipment is manufactured 100% in Fort Worth, Texas.

Power-One – With a new manufacturing facility in Phoenix, Arizona, all Power-One products manufactured there are ARRA-eligible.

PV Powered – PV Powered is an American company and manufacturer.  They assert they are fully compliant with the Buy American Act.

SMA – All Sunny Boy inverters, ranging from 3 kW to 7 kW, are assembled in Denver, Colorado.  Other SMA products, like Sunny Central and Sunny Island inverters, will also start to be assembled in Denver.

Satcon – With its corporate headquarters, inverter design and manufacturing facility in Boston, Massachusetts, Satcon satisfies the “Buy American” provision.

Solectria – All three-phase central inverters (PVI 10 kW through PVI 95kW and SGI 225 kW through SGI 500 KW), auxiliary string combiners, and the SolrenView web-based monitoring gateway are ARRA-eligible.

Mounting Equipment and BOS Components

Ironridge – Ironridge can certify that all of its solar mounting equipment is compliant with “Buy American” provisions.

Professional Solar (ProSolar) – 100% of ProSolar manufactured products are made in the United States and are ARRA compliant.

Unirac – With more than 50% value of system components sourced from the United States, Unirac asserts they meet the Buy American requirements.

Wiley Electronics (WEEB) – For all of their products, Wiley Electronics certifies that they are in compliance with the Buy American Act.

Brightstar Solar is a licensed solar installer in Massachusetts and Connecticut.  We work with residential, commercial, and public customers to maximize incentives, navigate the installation process, complete grant and rebate paperwork.  Please reach out to us if you are interested in a complimentary solar evaluation of your home, business, or institution in Massachusetts or Connecticut.