en.Wedoany.com Reported - Qcells has commenced solar cell manufacturing at its factory in Cartersville, Georgia, marking a step forward in the United States' move toward a fully domestic solar supply chain. As one of the largest and few remaining photovoltaic manufacturers in the U.S., this production launch brings Qcells closer to its goal of building the country's only vertically integrated solar manufacturing facility—producing all major components from ingots to finished modules within the same site.
Qcells expects the Cartersville factory to reach full production capacity in the third quarter of 2026, at which point it will become the largest operational solar cell factory in U.S. history. Alongside the start of cell production, the factory's module assembly lines are already running at full capacity, producing 16,700 panels per day. Once fully operational, the Cartersville facility will add 3.3 GW of vertically integrated ingot, wafer, and cell capacity, along with 3.5 GW of module capacity. By the end of the third quarter of 2026, Qcells' total production in the U.S. will reach 8.6 GW. Modules manufactured at the Cartersville factory will help project developers and asset owners qualify for the 10% domestic content bonus under the Investment Tax Credit, as each module's major components are domestically manufactured.
Andy Park, Global CEO of Qcells, stated that producing the first solar cells in Cartersville is a milestone for the company and for U.S. manufacturing. As the ingot, wafer, and cell production lines reach full capacity, the company will complete the full-chain manufacturing of major solar panel components in Georgia. A reliable domestic supply chain not only creates thousands of high-paying jobs but also provides customers with greater certainty regarding pricing, supply, and tariff conditions.
By the third quarter of 2026, the Cartersville factory is expected to produce 3.3 GW each of ingots, wafers, and cells, along with 3.5 GW of modules annually. Combined with Qcells' expanded Dalton factory—which tripled its module capacity to 5.1 GW by the end of 2023—Qcells' total module capacity in Georgia will reach 8.6 GW per year, or 47,000 panels per day. Qcells believes its vertically integrated production model allows it to fully capture the value of the Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit across the solar value chain, enabling tax credit claims at every stage of production.
In the summer of 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment to provide Qcells with up to $1.45 billion in loan guarantees through the LPO's Title 17 Clean Energy Financing Program. Qcells is one of the top ten utility-scale solar and energy storage project developers in the U.S., having developed or constructed over 2 GW of projects, with a project development pipeline exceeding 10 GW. The company utilizes Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) technology, which reflects sunlight back into the cell through a reflective layer on the rear side, converting it into electricity.
Last summer, Qcells launched the EcoRecycle by Qcells recycling business, which began operations at the Cartersville factory. At full capacity, EcoRecycle's facility can recycle approximately 250 megawatts (MW) of solar panels annually (about 500,000 panels per year), reusing materials including aluminum, glass, silver, and copper. Qcells plans to expand recycling centers across the U.S. to optimize logistics and scale operations. The company noted that the current lack of mandatory recycling regulations results in most discarded solar panels ending up in landfills, but discussions on mandatory recycling policies are emerging in various states, and new advancements in recycling technology are reducing costs and increasing the value of recovered materials.
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