An old automotive saying that well-built vehicles by Ford Motor Co.
keep on going many years after competitors’ models have been scrapped
can now be applied to old Ford assembly plants!
PowerLight, a subsidiary of SunPower Corporation, which in turn is
majority owned by Cypress Semiconductor, is to use 175,000 square feet
in the historic (listed) Ford Assembly Plant in Richmond, California,
originally built in 1930!
We have noted recently that other
solar wafer/module producers have been seen to be acquiring dormant
fabs both in Germany and North America, but PowerLight’s use of a 1930s
automotive assembly line puts a new spin on the old Ford motorhead
phrase.
Note: The plant (see below) was designed by Albert
Kahn, an industrial architect who built many facilities for Ford, among
others, and pioneered natural lighting workplaces. Strange, then, that
glass frontage buildings using dark tints are all the current rage,
boosting artificial light and unnecessary energy usage. I am sure the
irony has not been lost on PowerLight!