US Solar Panel Manufacturers have been under siege from cheap Chinese solar panel imports leading to a closure of a number of solar module factories. Small and big solar companies have been facing difficulties and some like Solyndra, Abound Solar have sought protection in Chapter 11. Even established companies like Evergreen Solar have been forced into closing their factories as they were simply unable to compete with the cutthroat module prices from China, Taiwan and other Asian countries. The US Government recently imposed duties on imports of Chinese made solar panels to even out the field for US Solar module maker. However it remains to be seen whether this helps the small US solar panel makers like Mage Solar given that Chinese companies have a massive cost advantage over Western solar companies.

Mage Solar USA

MAGE SOLAR USA is a  Georgia based solar panel manufacturer which was founded in 2007 in Germany and started operations in USA in 2009. Mage Solar AG is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Mage Industries Holding AG of Germany. The company sells solar panels for  residential, commercial, agricultural and utility scale applications. Mage Solar is a subsidiary of the MAGE GROUP which has a presence in  20 countries across four major business sectors worldwide. Mage Solar is active in the USA, Italy, France, Czech Republic, Turkey, China, Benelux countries, Spain, Slovakia, Great Britain, Greece, North Africa, Australia and Middle East. In March 2011 the company began to manufacture modules at its US location.

Mage Powertec Plus Solar Panels

The company sells solar panels under the MAGE  POWERTEC PLUS brandname. The company assembles the solar panels in the US and can take advantage of the “Buy American” provisions Mage Solar sells 6 different solar panels which are listed below

• Mage 250 MNS
• Mage 245 MNBS
• Mage 240 PL US AC
• Mage 240 PL US
• Mage 240 PL
• Mage 235 PL

The company sells both polycrystalline and monocrystalline silicon solar panels in the 235 to 250 watt range. The Mage 250 watt solar panels are made of monocrystalline silicon cells which have higher efficiency than the normal multicrystalline silicon cells which are used in the lower watt solar panels. The company has also introduced an AC module which comes with an inbuilt microinverter.

The company also sells solar inverters and solar mounting systems under the Mage SystemTec brandname.

Mage Solar Warranty

Mage Solar gives a 10-year product warranty and a 30-year 80% performance guarantee. The company gives a 90% performance warranty for the first 12 years which decreases to 80% for the next 10 years. The company  has a Underwrites Lab certification and is also ARRA-compliant.

Mage SystemTec Mounting Systems

Mage Solar sells  mouthing systems under the MAGE SYSTEMTEC brandname which can be used  wide array of pitched roofing applications, including asphalt shingles, roof tile or metal roofs.

Mage Solar Inverters

The company does not manufacture solar inverters on its own but sources them from solar inverter producers such as Fronius, SMA and SolarBridge. SolarBridge makes microinverters which are used in its AC modules.

Mage Solar Panel Prices

The prices of Mage Solar Panels are higher than that of Chinese solar panels because the modules are assembled in the US which leads to higher costs and higher prices. There is no one pricing given the dynamic nature of solar panel pricing and depends on volumes as well. However with duties on imports of Chinese made solar modules, Mage Solar Panels are more competitive though they are still priced higher. Note currently top rated solar panels from the biggest companies like Trina Solar Panels are sold in Chinese factories for as low as 70c/watt which means just $175 for a 250 watt solar panel.

Mage Solar Academy

Mage Solar has started a solar training academy which makes it quite unique amongst solar panel makers. The company offers lectures and practical training on the following topics

• Solar PV 101 – Entry Level (40 hours)
• Advanced Solar Business & Technical Sales (40 hours)
• NABCEP Installer Exam Prep 801 (16 hours)
• Fundamentals of Solar Business & Technical Sales (8 hours)
• PV Field Inspectors 302 (8 hours)
• Real Estate & Insurance 301 (8 hours)
• Electrical Grounding & Bonding 401 (8 hours)
• Solar Civics 701 (3 hours)
• OSHA 10 (10 hours)
• OSHA 30 (30 hours)

Source : http://www.magesolar.com/us/mage_solar/mage_solar_academy.html