Global solar module player primarily manufacturing in China, Canadian Solar announced today it will start a 5-GW solar panel assembly facility in Mesquite, Texas, just east of Dallas. This U.S. factory will join Canadian Solar’s manufacturing portfolio in Canada, China, Brazil, Thailand and Vietnam.
Fellow Chinese solar panel powerhouse LONGi also has plans for a 5-GW solar panel factory in Ohio. The Canadian Solar and LONGi plants will be the largest crystalline silicon solar panel factories in the United States.
Canadian Solar will invest $250 million into the Texas factory, creating approximately 1,500 jobs. Production is expected to begin by the end of this year.
“Establishing this factory is a key milestone that will enable us to better serve our U.S. customers with the most advanced technology in the industry,” said Dr. Shawn Qu, founder and CEO of Canadian Solar. “We hope that this is the first of many long-term investments we expect to make in the U.S. as we think strategically about a sustainable and resilient clean energy supply chain.”
Canadian Solar is a leader in TOPCon solar technology, and the company expects advanced modules using TOPCon technology to account for 30% of its 2023 total module shipments. The Texas factory will manufacture TOPCon modules, likely for the commercial and utility-scale markets.
Interactive communications and distribution lines to warehouses
Will increase the value of heavy storage warehouse storage this year, but
It appears people are not talking to each other about how to sell these modules.
Oklahoma has a new Bifacial Italian plant going up in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Mission Solar is ramping up their newer higher efficiency modules.
Will there be a price glut in the Midwest now? Longi and Jinko solar are producing high efficiency modules, but they are brittle and not as user friendly in the warranty futures. This should be a serious caution to builders!
Remember that efficiency is NOTHING if your system breaks!
The SEIA needs to review these factors and begin using a
5 tiered standard of quality rating system. 1. How prone to breakage is the module? 2. How long with it maintain its 80% output of Faceplate power? 3. Fire safety evaluation is for electronic fire rating.
4. Wind capacity sheer strength rating with racks. 5. Esthetics and usefulness for architectural value .
Any mention of whether Canadian will build out US cell manufacturing as well?
No official word on cell manufacturing
“Global solar module player primarily manufacturing in China, Canadian Solar announced today it will start a 5-GW solar panel assembly facility in Mesquite, Texas, just east of Dallas. This U.S. factory will join Canadian Solar’s manufacturing portfolio in Canada, China, Brazil, Thailand and Vietnam.”
I see two very large and looming fail points here. This IS an assembly plant in the U.S., and as China owns about 80% of all monocrystalline silicon foundries in the (World), the silicon, wafers, cells will still be hit by the 201, 301 tariffs and may not qualify for the IRA or build back better subsidies passed by Congress. As soon as the Auxin AD/CVD filing with the Commerce Department moritorium is lifted a large chunk of Malaysia may be hit with tariffs also. Geopolitics may kill this “assembly site” before it gets off the ground.