DiscoverSunCast848: Can America Lead Solar Cell Manufacturing? Arndt Lutz, EliTe Solar
848: Can America Lead Solar Cell Manufacturing? Arndt Lutz, EliTe Solar

848: Can America Lead Solar Cell Manufacturing? Arndt Lutz, EliTe Solar

Update: 2025-08-26
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Is the U.S. solar manufacturing boom standing on a hollow foundation?

In this live episode from PV ModuleTech USA, Nico sits down with solar industry veteran Arndt E. Lutz, a global exec who’s seen it all—from Germany’s early solar rise to hydrogen innovation and now leading EliTe Solar’s manufacturing efforts.

Despite America’s massive build-out of module assembly plants, there's a gaping hole in the supply chain: solar cell manufacturing. Arndt lays out the challenge with clarity—and urgency. It's not just about economics. It’s water, power, permitting, and a chemical process no one’s quite ready for.

If we’'re serious about reshoring manufacturing, this is critical path.

Expect to learn:

🔹 Why 50GW of module assembly in the U.S. means little without more cell fabs

🔹 How Germany’s “right to interconnect” flipped the solar game

🔹 Why permitting delays are crushing U.S. manufacturing timelines

🔹 The surprising reason Texas leads in solar deployment & manufacturing

This is your front-row seat to the real challenges (and solutions) shaping the future of solar in America.

Get your Solar Fight Night tickets before they're gone: https://tinyurl.com/522wf8v3

Also check out Renewables UnWind Las Vegas: https://tinyurl.com/2ea2c6k3

And don't forget about the pickleball games: https://tinyurl.com/p9h5nv42

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.

Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

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848: Can America Lead Solar Cell Manufacturing? Arndt Lutz, EliTe Solar

848: Can America Lead Solar Cell Manufacturing? Arndt Lutz, EliTe Solar