Palo Alto, Calif.-based solar thermal developer Ausra has opened its first North American manufacturing and distribution center in Las Vegas.

The company said its the first solar thermal manufacturing plant in the U.S.

Ausra started up the reflector production line at the 130,000 square foot plant, which the company said would also supply the absorber tubes and other key components for solar thermal power projects.

"This is a crossover point for this industry," said Robert Fishman, president and CEO of Ausra.

"Ausra's factory is accelerating Nevada's and America's solar future by tripling worldwide manufacturing capacity, relieving the supply constraint that has slowed the industry, and continuing to drive down costs."

Ausra said the Las Vegas facility would employ a staff of 50, producing more than 700 megawatts of solar collectors annually at full capacity.

Last November, Ausra and San Francisco's PG&E (NYSE: PCG) announced a power purchase agreement for a 177 MW solar thermal power plant to be built in central California (see PG&E, Ausra in 177MW solar thermal deal).

Ausra said that project is expected to generate enough electricity to power more than 120,000 homes.

The company said its new manufacturing center would make solar field equipment for the PG&E project and for other power projects throughout the American Southwest.

Ausra said the Las Vegas factory would also serve its process steam customers, who the company said are adopting solar thermal power to lower their fuel costs and emissions in their operations, including food processing, enhanced oil recovery and refining, and pulp and paper manufacturing.

Backed by Khosla Ventures and Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers, Ausra said this is the first of several factories it plans to build in the U.S. and around the world.