Qcells solar panel deal shows US manufacturing push

Qcells, which recently began its own historic growth at two Georgia sites, is one of a slew of clean technology facilities sprouting up across the Peach State as the United States attempts to strengthen its own internal supply chain.

“We invented the solar panel in America and then basically stopped trying to make it here,” Marta Stoepker, a Qcells representative, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’re attempting to restart that.”

Summit Ridge Energy’s procurement covers more than eight months of output for Qcells’ current Dalton facility. The project would deploy 1.2 gigatonnes of solar power to community projects, which will include installations that give power to clusters of houses and flats.

It is not Qcells’ most important contract. Earlier this year, Microsoft ordered 2.5 gigatonnes of solar capacity. Qcells’ development includes expanding capacity to its present facility as well as constructing a new plant in Bartow County, which will assist ramp up production to satisfy both orders, according to Stoepker.

Qcells, which is owned by a South Korean corporation, manufactures numerous solar panel variants ranging in length from 6 to 9 feet and requiring robust supply systems.

COVID-19 threw a wrench in worldwide computer chip and rare metal production, causing shortages, price increases, and heartburn in a variety of businesses. While Stoepker stated that Qcells is confident in its ability to deliver this massive order, increasing domestic part production has been a key policy priority of Biden’s administration.