Qcells Begins Solar Cell Manufacturing at Americas First and Only Vertically Integrated Solar Factory in Cartersville, Georgia
June 9, 2026 | News, Trending News, Utility | Written By: Qcells North America
- Qcells Cartersville facility will add 3.3 GW of vertically integrated ingot, wafer, cell, and 3.5 GW of module capacity when fully operational.
- Qcells total U.S. output will hit 8.6 GW by the end of the Q3 2026, approximately the energy needed to power roughly 1.3 million American homes for a year.
- Cartersville will be the first and only U.S. factory to produce the major parts of a solar photovoltaic module under one roof, from ingot to finished panel.
- Qcells customers will benefit from both an easier path to qualifying for the domestic content tax credit and greater supply certainty for their projects.
CARTERSVILLE, GA. June 9, 2026 Qcells, a global leader in complete clean energy solutions, today announced that it has begun manufacturing solar cells at its Cartersville, Georgia factory, marking a major milestone toward completing the countrys only vertically integrated solar manufacturing plant, where major components from ingot to finished module is made under one roof. The company expects to be at full production by Q3 2026 making this the largest operating solar cell factory in U.S. history. In addition to starting its cell production, Cartersville module assembly is now at full capacity, building 16,700 panels a day.
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, well be making the major components of a solar panel right here in Georgia. A dependable domestic supply chain doesnt 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.
With cells in production, the factory will scale fast: by Q3 2026, Cartersville will make 3.3 GW each of ingots, wafers, cells, and 3.5 GW of modules a year. Together with the expanded Dalton factory, which tripled module capacity to 5.1 GW in late 2023, Qcells total module capacity in Georgia will reach 8.6 GW a year, or 47,000 panels a day, approximately the energy needed to power roughly 1.3 million U.S. homes for a year.