1. Despite attending tradeshows for solar products, the reality of solar manufacturing is less glamorous but more impressive than what is displayed.
2. Nextracker’s torque tube plant in Leetsdale, Pennsylvania has experienced significant growth and expansion in the last two years.
3. The plant now employs over 70 people, produces 12,000 torque tubes a week, sources materials locally, and aims for one-day delivery to solar projects across the country.
The author, who has been writing about solar for over five years, rarely has the opportunity to see solar products in person, usually only attending tradeshows. However, the reality of solar manufacturing is much less glamorous than the displays at these events. A factory in Leetsdale, Pennsylvania produces torque tubes for Nextracker single-axis solar trackers, with plans for significant expansion. The factory now has three active torque tube lines and a fourth one incoming, producing 12,000 torque tubes a week.
The manufacturing process is mostly automated, with factory workers overseeing the production. Steel coils are fed into a forming machine to shape the metal into tubes, cut to length, swaged, and drilled for assembly with solar modules. With domestic manufacturing, Nextracker aims to supply regional solar projects more efficiently and sustainably, using U.S.-sourced steel fabricated in electric arc furnaces. The workforce has grown to over 70 people, reflecting the growing demand for solar products in the region and the impact of domestic manufacturing on the market. expansions and new openings, highlighting the importance of domestic manufacturing in the solar industry’s growth.