PPG Industries’ flat-glass business has announced plans to upgrade a coater at its Oregon, USA glass plant to enable the manufacture of Solarphire anti-reflective (AR) glass and 2XAR two-sided AR glass.

Richard Beuke, PPG Vice President, flat glass, says investment in the factory, along with new production of ultra-high light-transmissive glass at the California factory, is part of the company’s commitment to serving the West Coast’s growing solar power industry.

“With the new capabilities at these plants, we can now produce Solarphire photovoltaic (PV) glass in California and then ship it to Oregon for the addition of an anti-reflective coating,” says Mr Beuke. “That enables us not just to accelerate internal production, but to respond more quickly and with a broader range of products to solar industry customers throughout the Western USA. It also enables solar customers to further reduce the carbon footprint of solar cell manufacturing,” he added.