400 Solar Jobs Coming to Navy Yard

Greek company building solar panel manufacturing facility in Philly

Things are looking brighter at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

Helisophera, a Greek solar panel manufacturer, announced plans to build a new facility along the waterfront Monday.

The $500 million, 500,000 square foot plant will bring 200 construction jobs and 400 permanent jobs to the former naval base. Construction is expected to begin in the summer or fall of 2010 and could take up to 18 months.

The Athens-based company plans on churning out 1.2 million solar modules every year.

Mayor Michael Nutter was thrilled about the two-fold green benefits of the project.

“Increasingly when people think about clean energy and solar power, they are thinking about Philadelphia and our Clean Energy Campus at the Navy Yard," said Nutter. "Solar power is part of Philadelphia's future, and it is an essential part of America's future.

Helisophera joins a growing number of green energy companies making a home in the Philadelphia region.

Gamesa, a Spanish wind turbine and farm manufacturing company, set up their U.S. headquarters in Center City and built a turbine plant in Fairless Hills, Pa.

Nutter and Pa. Gov. Ed Rendell hope projects like these will pave the way for more green investment in Philadelphia. It's their goal to make the city America's number one green city.

While Philly works to become the greenest city, Pennsylvania is racing to become its greenest state.

The Commonwealth is second in the nation in wind power growth with 17 operating wind farms generating enough energy to power 270,000 homes.

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