By Isabella Kaminski

Solar energy company Conergy is to increase its production capacity following high demand for its products in 2010.

As well as establishing additional in-house production plants, the manufacturer will outsource its solar module production to a European contract partner later this year.

Conergy’s CSO Andreas Wilsdorf says: "With this step, we are transferring the expertise we gained in Frankfurt (Oder) to new module lines and securing additional capacities with exactly the same quality. In this way, we will be able to serve our core markets even more efficiently and react to market fluctuations in a more flexible manner, without tying up large amounts of capital in new module production facilities."

Hamburg-based Conergy, which manufactures solar modules, inverter and mounting systems, expects further growth in 2011, particular in solar markets outside Germany.

The company is also setting up a new solar mounting system production base in Sacramento, California, which will boost its total capacity by more than 100 MW. Conergy subsidiary Mounting Systems, one of the world's largest manufacturers of mounting systems, will open the €5 million factory later this month.

"The US solar market is expected to more than double by 2012,” says Wilsdorf. “Our new factory will help us to grow further in this market. In Sacramento, we will be able to multiply our production capacities within a short time in order to satisfy the growing demand in the entire region. At the same time, our factory will shorten our way to the customer, as we will directly supply the mounting systems produced there to the US market. In this way, we will reduce shipping times and transportation costs."