John McCloudis editor of Industry Property Journal,from which this article is excerpted.

Hillsboro, OR—Earlier this month, a German solar panelmanufacturer bought a 400,000-sf former computer chip manufacturingplant in this Portland suburb. The deal coincided with anothersolar power company's decision to lease 175,000 sf in areconditioned factory in Richmond, CA. Together, they underscorethe rapidity with which solar energy is becoming a standard part ofthe industrial landscape.

In Hillsboro, Benaroya Co. and Real PropertyInvestors, both of Seattle, sold the Oregon Technology Centerto Solarworld AG of Bonn, Germany for $40 million. InRichmond, PowerLight, a subsidiary of San Jose-based SunPowerCorp., finalized a lease in Ford Point, a 520,000-sf historicFord Motor Co. assembly plant that Orton DevelopmentInc. of Emeryville, CA is converting for contemporary use.SunPower executives say the 75-year-old building's abundant windowsthat bring daylight to its interior space played a role in itslocation decision.