Will a new solar glass plant in North Georgia create a strong supply chain?

“SOLARCYCLE’s announcement of hundreds of jobs coming to a new, cutting-edge solar glass plant in North Georgia further cements the Peach State as a national leader in domestic solar manufacturing, and they will play a pivotal role in creating a robust supply chain for the United States emerging solar footprint.

What's going on with Georgia's solar industry?

Politics envelops the solar industry. Vice President Kamala Harris visited the plant earlier this year. At the state level, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has wrestled with Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff over political credit for electric vehicle and renewable energy investments flowing to Georgia.

How many solar panels does Hanwha produce a year?

Hanwha, Qcells’ parent company, expanded the Dalton facility in October 2023 to produce a total of 5.1 GW of solar panels per year. Qcells has committed to spending nearly $2.8 billion to build out a complete and sustainable solar supply chain in the U.S., first announced in January 2023.

How many solar panels will qcells produce a day?

Now, all eyes are on the new Cartersville facility, which will be able to produce 16,700 solar panels a day. Combined with Dalton’s output, Qcells expects to have an annual production capacity in Georgia of 8.4 gigawatts, enough to power 1.3 million homes. Between the two factories, Qcells says it will eventually employ 4,000 workers in Georgia.

Where are solar panels made?

A solar panel, or module, is assembled from solar cells most commonly made from wafers cut from ingots of polysilicon. Today, the company’s solar cells are imported from Asia.