Qcells' opened its first factory in 2019 and an even larger plant in phases since, what the company describes as the largest solar investment in American history.in Georgia even as industry leaders say surging Asian imports could dampen efforts to make more solar components in the United States.
The company says its new plant is the first solar module factory in the U.S. to begin production since passage of President Joe Biden’s Industry jitters about a flood of cheap solar panels from overseas show how dependent on federal policy the solar industry remains. That's a threat in part because former President Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination, is hostile to renewable energy.
Today, the company's solar cells are imported from Asia. But 30 miles south of Dalton in Cartersville, Qcells is building a $2.3 billion complex to take polysilicon refined in Washington state and make ingots, wafers and solar cells — in addition to 3.3 gigawatts of solar modules. That plant is scheduled to open in phases starting next year.
Qcells sees current low prices as a “near-term challenge" in achieving economies of scale and serving a long-term market, Moskowitz said. Beyond trade policy, he said, requiring federal agencies to buy American-made products and promoting panels produced with fewer carbon emissions could bolster Qcells.