Everbrite Solar, a division of Canadian industrial and electrical firm Everbrite Industries, will invest CAN$500 million to locate a photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing facility in Kingston, Ontario. In a company statement, Everbrite Solar says the project is expected to generate more than 1,200 direct and indirect green jobs. "With this next-generation optical and coating technology and mechanized production process, generating clean solar power will, at last, be cost-competitive with electricity produced from the burning of fossil fuels," says Karl Scherre, the company's president and CEO. The company says its robotic technology will allow the plant to produce 150 megawatts of solar modules every year, enough to supply power to 20,000 homes annually. Everbrite Solar also says it plans to seek a collaborative research agreement with Queen's University to engage a multidisciplinary team of researchers to work with the company on advancing technology for the PV manufacturing process; the company will spend $25 million to build a research facility for them. The company says it will be working with the Government of Ontario on potential incentives; however, the Toronto Star reports that there are currently no loan or financing guarantees in place.