Solar Power World
By Kelly Pickerel | June 9, 2026
Qcells has begun manufacturing silicon solar cells at its integrated factory in Cartersville, Georgia. The company has invested $2.5 billion into the Cartersville campus, which already assembles solar panels and will soon also make silicon ingots and wafers. Qcells will operate the only fully integrated silicon solar panel manufacturing site in the United States.
Credit: Qcells
Qcells expects to reach full production of the 3.5-GW cell line by Q3 2026, making it the largest operating solar cell factory in the United States. ES Foundry operates a 3-GW cell factory in South Carolina, and Suniva has a 1-GW cell factory in Georgia.
“Producing the first solar cells at Cartersville is a milestone for Qcells and for American manufacturing,” said Andy Park, Global CEO of Qcells. “As our ingot, wafer and cell lines reach full capacity, we’ll be making the major components of a solar panel right here in Georgia. A dependable domestic supply chain doesn’t just create thousands of good-paying jobs, it gives our customers greater certainty on price, supply, and tariffs, and a product they can trust from start to finish.”
Credit: Qcells
Qcells, an American-focused panel brand with backing from Korea’s Hanwha Solutions, currently operates a 5.1-GW panel assembly campus in Dalton, Georgia, along with the 3.5-GW cell and panel facility in Cartersville. This brings Qcells’ total domestic panel manufacturing capacity to 8.6 GW, making it the largest silicon panel maker in the United States. The company employs an estimated 3,800 people in Georgia.
Kelly Pickerel has more than 15 years of experience reporting on the U.S. solar industry and is currently editor in chief of Solar Power World. Email Kelly.

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