Spire Corporation, a global solar company providing production equipment and turnkey manufacturing lines to manufacture photovoltaic (PV) cells and services for solar systems, has entered into a contract with Solartech Renewables to provide a turnkey PV module manufacturing line.

The company will conduct factory operations in New York and the contract should create up to 100 jobs. Solartech officials said the move is in response to the growing demand for more U.S. based manufacturing for PV modules.

The factory production line will include Spire's state-of-the-art equipment, process knowledge, training and module certification assistance. Solartech will begin production using Spire's 60-cell, 220-watt module design.

"With the federal and state incentives for PV systems now in place, the U.S. market has become the fastest growing in the world. It is projected to be more than two gigawatts by 2011, with as much as a one gigawatt shortfall of U.S. based manufacturing." said Roger Little, chairman and CEO of Spire.

"We chose Spire because they are renowned for their technology and unfailing support; our experience with them has been outstanding," said Todd Roberts, CEO of Solartech.