Solar Panel Kits and more...

Recent news about the third largest solar panel manufacturer in the U.S. moving to China has had government officials and economists worried.  After all, President Obama is counting on green jobs to help lead us out of the recession, as well as cut our dependence on foreign oil.

President Obama examines manufacturing of solar panels (image from whitehouse.gov)

Perhaps we can take a page from Alternate Energy Technologies!  Its solar panels are made in America, and don’t rely on any foreign parts, either.  As noted in the Florida Times-Union, the Jacksonville, Florida company is creating all-American solar panels:

“The company does not purchase anything from foreign suppliers, Byrom says. Its 60 workers bring in raw materials and manufacture everything in its 67,000-square-foot facility. Byrom said that makes AET one-of-a-kind in the United States, because other U.S. solar manufacturers are really just assembly operations that put together components fabricated in foreign factories.”

The nearly 25-year old company manufacturers solar thermal panels, used for solar hot water heating systems.  These work by using radiant energy from the sun to warm water, which is fed into specialized solar hot water tanks.  While the U.S. was slow to catch onto the renewable energy bandwagon, AET has been serving areas like the Caribbean which often lack connection to the electric grid.  Today, AET’s business is 75% from the U.S., with the rest from foreign countries.

Getting back to green jobs…. AET’s success in manufacturing solar panels in America is leading to plans for another, larger facility in Green Cove.  The expansion will more than double its workforce!

According to President and CEO, Billy Byron, solar panels made in America is unique:

“Everything is American-made. We’re very proud of that,” he said. “We are the only complete manufacturer in the United States.”

Green jobs right here in the U.S.A.?  Sounds like a win-win for AET and the American people.