Solar

Made in America: Origami Solar establishes domestic supply chain for steel solar frames

Made in America: Origami Solar establishes domestic supply chain for steel solar frames
A closeup look at Origami's steel solar frame (courtesy: Origami Solar)

Ready or not, here comes a domestic solar supply chain.

Origami Solar, which has made headlines for challenging the industry standard with its patented steel solar module frames, has announced the finalization of an all-American supply chain involving three premier steel fabricators that promises to enable fulfillment by the first quarter of 2025.

The three partnerships Origami announced today are with Wesler Profile of Valley City, Ohio, Priefert of Mt. Pleasant, Texas, and Unimacts of Houston, Texas.

“America has one of the world’s strongest steel industries,” said Origami Solar CEO Gregg Patterson. “We have the energy-efficient steel mills and the world-class fabricators that can produce every solar frame America will ever need. Thanks to our newly announced partnerships and all-domestic supply chain, there is simply no reason for the solar industry to accept the enormous risk that comes with imported aluminum frames. They should not have to accept shipping issues, labor strife, or impoundments delaying the arrival of the frames they need. They should not have to accept the possibility that geopolitical tensions could shut off the frame supply entirely. They should not have to accept the risk of ever-increasing tariffs or that weaker aluminum frames would fail to support ever-larger solar panels. Now, the solar industry can avoid that risk entirely.”    

Origami says its frames, which can withstand greater loads and have 90% less embodied carbon than typical aluminum counterparts, can soon be delivered from a fabricator to a module manufacturer in just one or two days.

Origami previously contracted Technology, Engineering, & Consulting for the Solar Industry (TECSI) to conduct a variety of tests and found that electrical components of the PV laminate are better protected by their steel frame than by a traditional aluminum one. In its conclusion, TECSI added: “The Origami roll-formed steel frames proved to be overall resilient and able to surpass the performance of typical aluminum frames in many circumstances even though it was 13% shorter.”

An Origami Solar steel frame for a solar module (courtesy: Origami Solar)

“Today’s announcement aligns perfectly with what the solar industry needs and has been demanding – a predictable, domestic supply chain that’s derisked and decarbonized,” adds Michael Gray, COO of Origami Solar. “By working with best-in-class steel fabrication partners who share our commitment to a strong domestic solar industry, we’re excited to bring a higher value proposition to developers and a more resilient product to our solar module customers all while tapping into the American labor force.”

The United States intends to more than double its solar capacity in the next few years, but Origami argues there isn’t a domestic supply chain big enough to meet that goal with aluminum. In fact, between 2010 and 2017, 18 of the 23 aluminum smelters in the United States shut down production, increasing reliance on foreign supply. Domestic aluminum production has improved over the last few years, but the U.S. still takes in more than it makes, importing about 4.8 million metric tons of aluminum in 2023, mostly from Canada. China and Russia are two of the top three aluminum-producing nations; China itself controls nearly 60% of the world’s market.

“If you’re a business person and you can’t depend on getting a supply of the critical materials, you have no business,” asserted Patterson in a previous interview with Renewable Energy World. “It doesn’t matter how profitable you are. You have no business if you can’t have a predictable supply.”

Origami’s newly announced partners share Patterson’s vision.

“Priefert has long prided itself [on] creating the high-end steel-based equipment American businesses need and for providing good-paying jobs for American workers,” said Rocky Christenberry, Priefert’s executive vice president. “Fabricating Origami’s steel solar frames helps us keep doing both. Indeed, thanks to our partnership with Origami, we were able to expand our investments in the solar industry, keep our Benton, Arkansas facility open, keep our current employees hard at work and expand to up to 70 additional skilled workers over the next three years. This partnership demonstrates American innovation at its finest.”

Unimacts founder Matthew Arnold underscored the importance of having steady, ready supply.

“The American solar industry understands that a domestic supply chain for steel solar frames dramatically reduces risk to companies and to the industry writ large,” explained Arnold. “The steel frames we send from Houston to any production facility in the lower 48 states will never get stuck in customs or be forced to wait in line at a port; they can go from our facility to a module manufacturer in just a day. ‘Always on’ module manufacturers will not have to pause operations for a lack of solar frames. What’s more, given steel solar frames’ extensive testing for both structural integrity and corrosion resistance, solar project developers need not worry about frames failing. We’re ready and eager to start producing these frames at scale and helping the solar industry reap the benefits.”

Welser Profile CEO Thomas Welser also sees an opportunity to service the U.S. solar industry.

“Welser Profile has worked with high-strength steel for over 350 years, and the company has been in our family for 11 generations,” said Welser. “We understand how to shape high-strength steel to create uniquely durable, functional, and reliable equipment, and our partnership included working with Origami’s engineers to optimize their compelling steel frame design for the “always on” module manufacturing model. It was no surprise to us that Origami’s frames performed exceptionally well in rigorous testing, and we are eager to bring that performance to bear for the American solar industry.”

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