Aquatherm Industries, Inc. and Modulo Solar - the largest solar thermal manufacturers in the United States and Mexico, respectively - have partnered to form a joint venture, which will manufacture polymer solar thermal collectors in Cuernavaca, Mexico. The announcement was made last week in Cuernavaca, Mexico at Modulo Solar's 40th Anniversary Congress and Gala.
Online, June 2, 2015 (Newswire.com) - At its 40th Anniversary Congress and Gala, to a full house of workers, dealers, and local dignitaries, Modulo Solar made an official announcement regarding its new joint venture agreement with Aquatherm Industries, Inc. The largest manufacturers of solar thermal in Mexico and the United States, respectively, the organizations share a 15 year relationship as distribution partners of Aquatherm's flagship brand of solar pool heaters, ECOSUN.
The joint venture is for a "pilot plant" to manufacture "polymer solar water heaters." The funding is coming from Cemiesol, the Mexican Center for Solar Innovation and is being administered by UNAM, the National University of Mexico, which awarded the contract to Modulo last fall. Under the terms of the contract, the pilot plant must be also accessible to UNAM graduate solar heating curriculum.
The first phase of the contract is already underway, with the research and development for a welder capable of manufacturing the finished collector. The second phase provides for vertical integration to complete the pilot plant concept. Under terms of the contract, the plant must be operational within two years (by 12/2016) and standing on its own with four years (by 12/2018).
Dave Sizelove, President & CEO of Aquatherm Industries, says of the agreement with Modulo, "Aquatherm will license the joint venture to produce its ECOSUN and Sun-Swim products for sale in the Central and South American marketplaces. The joint venture will also produce polymer absorbers for Modulo Solar's "Axol HVP" line of thermosiphon solar water heating systems, which Aquatherm has been supplying Modulo directly with for the last several years."
Octavio Garcia, President and Founder of Modulo Solar, said "Aquatherm and Modulo Solar are like-minded organizations, which is why I believe we have shared such a strong relationship over the past 15 years."
"Like Aquatherm, Modulo is an ISO 9001 registered company, and both consider producing a quality product to be the highest priority. A joint venture between these two leaders in the solar industry was inevitable, and we are excited to be entering this new stage in our relationship."
More details are expected to be released, including the name of the joint venture.
About Modulo Solar:
The Modulo Solar name is recognized throughout Central and South America as the leader in solar water heater manufacturing and consulting. In addition to manufacturing its popular lines of solar hot water collectors, Axol and Maxol, Modulo recently released a low-cost thermosiphon unit using an Aquatherm polymer absorber, which has seen great success in its first several years. The company boasts over 650,000 square meters (nearly 7,000,000 square feet) of solar installations between its customers.
About Aquatherm Industries, Inc.:
Founded in 1989, Aquatherm Industries is an ISO 9001:2008 registered company, and the largest U.S. manufacturer of low-temperature, unglazed polymer solar collectors - primarily used for residential and commercial solar pool heating as well as domestic hot water and process pre-heat applications.
Within the company's "pellets to panels" approach, Aquatherm's extrusion, welding, and injection molding processes have been awarded four U.S. and two International Patents for its technology. In addition, Aquatherm's collectors were the first NSF-50 listed solar collectors in the world. Aquatherm distributors currently serve Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, all of North, Central, and South America, France, Egypt, and Jordan.
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