The corrugated medium and linerboard board are made of kraft containerboard, a paperboard material usually over 0.01 inches (0.25 mm) thick.
The panels contain cells made in China, Taiwan and, sometimes, Germany. Grape still plans to import inexpensive Chinese-made cells, and to buy Oregon-made inverters -- which convert direct current to alternating current -- for the panels it assembles in Eugene.
Solar energy is the technology used to harness the sun's energy and make it useable. As of 2011, the technology produced less than one tenth of one percent of global energy demand. Many are familiar with so-called photovoltaic cells, or solar panels, found on things like spacecraft, rooftops, and handheld calculators. The cells are made of semiconductor materials like those found in computer chips. When sunlight hits the cells, it knocks electrons loose from their atoms.