Unimacts to expand Houston facility for steel solar frame production

Origami Solar moves one step closer to providing domestic content steel solar module frames after partnering with Unimacts.

Unimacts, a Zetwerk Company, will run a dedicated roll-forming production line to produce Origami Solar steel module frames at its Houston, Texas facility.

By having regional fabrication centers in the U.S., customers will avoid “shipping issues, labor strife, or impoundments delaying the arrival of the frames they need,” said Gregg Patterson, CEO of Origami Solar. He added that by procuring domestically produced steel frames, customers won’t have the worry of “geopolitical tensions” or “ever-increasing tariffs.”

The milestone manufacturing partnership moves Origami closer to achieving its goal of having domestically produced frames. The Houston facility will expand to support multiple roll-forming lines to handle flexible short runs as well as high-speed fully-automated volume production as Origami’s business grows.

Unimacts is one of the major steel fabricators for the solar industry in the United States, supplying steel torque tubes, for example, to Nextracker, a solar tracker provider. Nextracker recently announced it had shipped its first 100% U.S.-made solar trackers.

Unimacts has manufacturing capabilities in the U.S., Mexico, Europe, India and Vietnam, and efficient global supply chains, giving Origami Solar the opportunity to increase production domestically and globally to serve regional customers.

“Origami Solar’s partnership with Unimacts reinforces our commitment to creating a durable, decarbonized, and domestic supply chain for steel module frames with best-in-class roll-forming partners,” Patterson said. “The Houston location is in close proximity to a growing number of Texas-based module manufacturers. It will ensure that they can increase domestic content and meet customer demand without the risks associated with long international supply chains.”

Origami Solar, founded in 2019 and based in Bend, Oregon, is a pv magazine 2023 award winner for manufacturing. The company produces patented, steel solar module frames that are said to lower cost and improve module performance. The company reports that the frames are made of “green” recycled steel, thereby reducing greenhouse gases by up to 93%, representing a reduction of 80 kg per module and 200 metric tons per MW.

Popular content

U.S. sees a 22% drop in land available for solar sites

10 December 2024 Available land in the U.S. for renewable energy sites is continuing to shrink, found a new report by Paces, a renewable-energy project-planning softwa...