Benefits of Suncorp, A New Photovoltaic Module Assembly Company in South Africa

This document reports on the establishment of a black-owned photovoltaic (PV) module assembly plant, Suncorp Manufacturing, in South Africa. The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), has been implemented by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) through a team effort involving Spire Corporation, the University of Port Elizabeth (UPE), Renaissance Management (Pty) Ltd.,Vulindlela Bulatsela Corporation (Pty) Ltd., AEG (Pty) Ltd. and ASE Americas, Inc. The team's goal was to set up the manufacturing facility and give support during the start-up phase. The report describes the team members' contributions toward this goal. It also discusses the long-term benefits related to South African jobs, U.S. jobs, cost savings, and avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions.