萬向集團對消費者耳熟能詳的要數他們的自動化供應業務，中國這個擁有數十億資產的合資集團已經開始邁進光伏領域。萬向集團在國內已經成為了太陽能硅鑄錠和硅產量最大的企業之一。公司還在2005年開始了一些電池和組件生意，計劃明后年達產300MW的產容。現在萬象太陽能集團已經在美國開始生產發展，公司有4000個員工，但是直到最近才開始進入到美國本土的光伏領域。

萬向集團擁有了伊利諾斯州2百萬美元的補助金和光伏政策的鼓勵，還有來自土耳其Spire Solar公司的技術專家的專業支持，萬向集團在芝加哥已經開始了多晶硅組件生產線生產。此外公司還得到了州政府的4百萬美元的資助，并與Mew Generation Power 達成太陽能伙伴關系，并計劃開始在伊利諾斯州建設62MW的光伏能源電站。

The Wanxiang Group may be a familiar name to those in the automotive parts supply business, but the multibillion-dollar Chinese conglomerate has stayed off―or at least on the screen-edge of―most solar PV observers’ radar. Yet the company is one of the largest solar silicon ingot and wafer producers in China. It also started a cell and module business in 2005, with plans to get to 300MW of capacity in the next year or so. Wanxiang has been operating in the U.S. for awhile, with more than 4000 employees, but had not dipped its toe in the Stateside solar pond until recently.

With the help of more than $2 million in Illinois state grants and incentives as well as the turnkey technical expertise of Spire Solar, Wanxiang Solar has opened a crystalline-silicon module line in the Chicago suburb of Rockford. But that’s not all: the new division, benefiting from another $4 million in state funds, has joined with New Generation Power to form Rockford Solar Partners, with plans to build a prodigious 62MW PV power-generation plant in Illinois.