A new 1 GW solar cell factory is launching in South Carolina

Canadian solar cell and panel maker Silfab Solar is opening a flagship $150 million solar cell factory in South Carolina.

The 785,000-square-foot factory’s annual production capacity will include 1 gigawatt (GW) of cell production capacity and 1.2 GW of additional panel production capacity. Silfab Solar’s York County factory is expected to create more than 800 jobs. The South Carolina Coordinating Council for Economic Development awarded a $2 million grant to York County to assist with building improvements.

Solar cell production at Silfab’s new South Carolina factory, a welcome addition to the US solar supply chain, is expected to start in the third quarter of 2024. The Toronto-headquartered residential and utility solar manufacturing company already has two facilities in Washington State.

Silfab Solar CEO Paolo Maccario said, “Silfab Solar’s investment in South Carolina strengthens our North America manufacturing capabilities, creates good-paying jobs and provides the ideal East Coast location to serve our growing customers. We look forward to expanding our industry-leading position for made-in-America solar.”

South Carolina comes in second (behind Georgia) among US states for post-Inflation Reduction Act clean energy factory investments, with $9.3 billion.

Read more: The US’s first-ever complete solar supply chain is coming

Photo: Silfab Solar

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