We have talked a lot here about the power of “green collar” jobs to really revitalize the manufacturing sector of this country. In fact I get emails all the time asking me to hook people up with jobs in the renewable energy field (if you are interested start your search here) so clearly there is a desire for these kind of jobs.

Now it seems that SCHOTT solar (covered before here here and here) is opening a brand new solar energy technology production facility in the Mesa del Sol region of Albuquerque, NM. The facility will manufacture receivers for concentrated solar thermal power plants and photovoltaic (PV) modules. The facility is scheduled to have an annual PV production capacity of 64 MW.

Initially, the production site will manufacture receivers for concentrated solar thermal power plants (CSP) and 64MW of photovoltaic (PV) modules. SCHOTT will construct a 200,000 square-foot facility, which is expected to begin production in 2009 and immediately create 350 jobs. The investment in New Mexico by SCHOTT Solar will be on the order of $100 million.

Anticipating the need to increase production of its solar power technologies as the market for renewable energy in the US grows, the new site is designed to support expansion of both its photovoltaic module and solar receiver lines. Long-term plans call for the building to expand to 800,000 square feet with 1,500 employees, representing a total investment of $500 million.

“According to both industry analysts and our projections, the market for solar energy will double over the next five years,” said Dr. Udo Ungeheuer, Chairman of SCHOTT’s Board of Management. “With this new plant, SCHOTT Solar, the State of New Mexico, the City of Albuquerque, and Bernalillo County are taking a lead in answering the growing demand for renewable energy in the United States.

The location of the new facility, Mesa del Sol, a developing mixed-use community south of Albuquerque, was selected as a result of local and state officials’ commitment to attracting high-quality cleantech jobs to the region. Something that will provide quality jobs while developing sustainable business. With the proximity to the key solar PV module and CSP markets of the Southwestern United States, as well as close contact to one of the leading research centers for solar energy in the world, the Sandia National Laboratories, SCHOOT and New Mexico are in a perfect position to take full advantage of the new green job revolution. When the oil runs out they will be just fine.

“SCHOTT Solar’s decision to create cleantech jobs in New Mexico demonstrates that our State is at the forefront of the clean energy revolution,” said Governor Bill Richardson. “New Mexico is where leading clean energy firms like SCHOTT Solar want to be, thanks to our strong workforce, business-friendly environment, and our abundant renewable energy resources.”

SCHOTT was attracted to New Mexico thanks in part to the State’s commitment to the consumption of renewable energy. New Mexico currently has an aggressive 20% renewable portfolio standard, which mandates that by the year 2020, 20% of energy consumed in New Mexico must be generated by renewable energy sources, of which 4% must be from solar power. Additionally, New Mexico is at the forefront of progressive energy models in the U.S. with its feed-in tariff, a globally proven model. SCHOTT’s decision to locate the new facility in New Mexico is also due to the pro-business climate and the collaborative economic development programs provided by the State of New Mexico, City of Albuquerque, and Bernalillo County. The long-term economic impact of the site is expected to exceed $1 billion for the state of New Mexico.

So if you are a policy maker that wants to bring clean high tech jobs to your state, perhaps you should be pushing for more renewable energy standards. Just saying.

Mesa del Sol sits on 12,900 acres of City of Albuquerque real estate. The community is positioned to become a leading sustainable-living community through energy conservation and generation, as well as a sustainable economy anchored by education and innovative industries.

The collectors will be used to create concentrated solar power electricity. Concentrated solar power plants use parabolic mirrors to concentrate solar radiation onto solar receivers. This solar radiation increases the temperature of the heat transfer fluid flowing through the receivers to approximately 700 degrees F. This heated fluid is then used to turn water into steam, which drives a turbine and generates electricity.

“The recent opening of the 64 MW Nevada Solar One solar thermal power plant demonstrates that large-scale solar thermal power is a renewable energy technology whose time has come.” said Mark Finocchario, President and CEO of SCHOTT Solar. “We expect that the reliability and cost-effectiveness of solar thermal parabolic trough power plants, along with the Southwestern United States’ vast solar resources, will help make solar thermal power one of the United States’ leading sources of renewable energy by 2025.”

The map above shows that not only will these products (being produced in America by American workers) have high demand in the US, but that vast regions of the world have good weather for these kinds of plants. This leads to the possibility that American products could once again be in demand around the world.