SunCast 848: Can America Lead Solar Cell Manufacturing? Arndt Lutz, EliTe Solar
Is the U.S. solar manufacturing boom standing on a hollow foundation?
In this live episode from PV ModuleTech USA, Nico sits down with solar industry veteran Arndt E. Lutz, a global exec who’s seen it all—from Germany’s early solar rise to hydrogen innovation and now leading EliTe Solar’s manufacturing efforts.
Despite America’s massive build-out of module assembly plants, there's a gaping hole in the supply chain: solar cell manufacturing. Arndt lays out the challenge with clarity—and urgency. It's not just about economics. It’s water, power, permitting, and a chemical process no one’s quite ready for.
If we’'re serious about reshoring manufacturing, this is critical path.
Expect to learn:
🔹 Why 50GW of module assembly in the U.S. means little without more cell fabs
🔹 How Germany’s “right to interconnect” flipped the solar game
🔹 Why permitting delays are crushing U.S. manufacturing timelines
🔹 The surprising reason Texas leads in solar deployment & manufacturing
This is your front-row seat to the real challenges (and solutions) shaping the future of solar in America.
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.
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