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Manufacturing Photovoltaic Devices at the Global Solar Factory

Bob visits the Global Solar factory in Tucson, Arizona, to see how they make their unique solar-electric (photovoltaic) devices. Neil Holstad, president of Global Solar, leads a tour of the plant. The factory itself includes many environmentally friendly features, including abundant day lighting, recycled brick fascia, graywater recycling, concrete containing fly ash, rammed-earth garden walls and energy efficient windows. They go inside the ultra-clean plant and see the unique flexible photovoltaic devices. The flexible material allows the devices to be used in many applications, such as the solar shingles used in the Habitat for Humanity project in Yonkers. Robert Wendt, Director of Technical Operations, shows Bob the materials used to make the solar cells and one of the manufacturing machines they invented for producing them. More information