A Georgia-born company that says it can wring more energy out of solar panels than competitors announced Thursday it will spend $75 million to build a manufacturing plant in Norcross.

The Suniva Inc. plant in Technology Park will be the first solar cell manufacturing facility in the state and perhaps a harbinger of things to come, said Gov. Sonny Perdue in announcing the decision at the state Capitol.

"This is a great success story of Georgia's push to be on the cutting edge of innovation, Perdue said.

Suniva, which is currently located in the state's technology incubator in Atlanta, will build solar cells based on technology developed by Georgia Tech Professor Ajeet Rohatgi.

The plant will be the company's first and initially will employ about 100 people. It will have the capacity to produce annually enough solar cells for 10,000 homes, Baumstark said. The company plans to triple that capacity within a few years, he said.

The company's edge, CEO John Baumstark said, is in manufacturing efficiencies that result in cells that wrest more energy from the sun at a lower cost.

For agreeing to locate in Gwinnett, Suniva will get about $10 million in economic incentives from the state and Gwinnett County, including the elimination $ 3.6 million in state sales tax on manufacturing equipment, according to the governor's office.

Gwinnett County, the county's school board and the city of Norcross will cede $4.8 million in property tax revenues as part of the deal, according to the governor's office.

Nick Masino, vice president of the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce, said the county's governments will give Suniva a phased 10-year break on real property taxes worth $1.3 million.

The remainder of the county's incentive package comes from a phased five-year abatement on personal property taxes on manufacturing equipment.

Masino said the effort to win the Suniva deal for the county was the most competitive since the chamber launched its Partnership Gwinnett effort to bring 65,000 new high-paying jobs to the county.

"This is huge. This is why we put Parternship Gwinnett together," he said.

Baumstark said he expected metro Atlanta to become a hub for the U.S. solar energy industry as international solar companies seek to enter the fast-growing domestic market.

In addition to the traditional draws that bring companies to Atlanta, such as the airport, transportation network and large, well-educated workforce, Baumstark said the presence of Georgia Tech's well-regarded solar power research center makes Atlanta a natural hub for the industry.

Perdue said Suniva's business plan hits the "sweet spot" in Georgia's effort to build a reputation as a business friendly and environmentally responsible state. He said the company's plan to help make alternative energy sources more affordable also fits well with the increasing "culture of conservation" taking hold in the state. And he noted that solar power and other alternative energy sources may hold the key to reducing the effects of rising oil and gasoline prices on U.S. businesses and consumers.

"Every time we pull up to the pump we're reminded of our dependency," he said.

Suniva expects to open its plant late this year.