13 September 2011

Schott Solar, Inc. has achieved certification from the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program for the company's $100 million (USD), 200,000 square-foot (~18,500 square-metre) solar products manufacturing complex near Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The LEED Green Building Rating System is an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

CH2M Hill, a global full-service engineering, construction and operations firm, provided engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) management services for the Schott Solar facility. The project was completed on budget and began production within one year of groundbreaking.

Schott Solar's Albuquerque facility opened in May 2009 and employs more than 300 local workers. It produces receivers used in parabolic trough, utility-scale and concentrated solar power plants (CSP), as well as receivers for CSP alongside photovoltaic (PV) modules.

The New Mexico facility was developed to manufacture solar PV modules and receiver tubes for CSP and is one of Schott's largest operations in the US. The plant began production in 2009. Long-term plans call for the building to expand to 800,000 square feet (~75,000 square metres) with 1,500 employees, representing a total investment of $500 million.

CH2M Hill has been involved with this project since 2007, assisting Schott Solar with site preparation, permitting and other regulatory issues. CH2M Hill also provided strategic business planning and economic analyses to help guide Schott to a site that could maximise the return on its new plant investments.