Origami Solar announced the development of a U.S. supply chain that includes three of the top global steel fabricators to produce its steel solar module frames.
Origami has placed emphasis on creating a domestic supply chain to mitigate time-consuming and expensive trans-Pacific shipping, reliance on less-than-reputable companies, and carbon-intensive components.
The utilization of a domestic supply chain also means that frames can travel from the fabricator to the module manufacturer in as little as one to two days.
Origami’s announcement included the formation of a partnership with Welser Profile of Valley City, Ohio; Priefert, of Mt. Pleasant, Texas; and Unimacts of Houston, Texas. The partnership will enable Origami to begin shipping steel solar frames to customers in Q1 2025.
Domestic manufacturing creates good-paying American jobs while producing a quality product. Tests have shown the steel frames have the ability to surpass International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standards and deliver improvements to module strength.
“America has one of the world’s strongest steel industries,” said Origami Solar CEO Gregg Patterson, in a statement. “We have the energy efficient steel mills and the world-class fabricators that can produce every solar frame America will ever need. Thanks to our newly-announced partnerships and all-domestic supply chain, there is simply no reason for the solar industry to accept the enormous risk that comes with imported aluminum frames. They should not have to accept shipping issues, labor strife, or impoundments delaying the arrival of the frames they need. They should not have to accept the possibility that geopolitical tensions could shut off the frame supply entirely. They should not have to accept the risk of ever-increasing tariffs or that weaker aluminum frames would fail to support ever-larger solar panels. Now, the solar industry can avoid that risk entirely.”
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