US DOE grants $1.45 billion loan to Qcells for Georgia solar facility

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) has granted conditional support for a loan of up to $1.45 billion to Qcells, aiding the construction of a first-of-its-kind solar supply chain manufacturing facility in Cartersville, Georgia. Once finalized, the loan will support Qcells, the largest silicon-based solar panel manufacturer in the West, in producing critical solar technologies at a multi-gigawatt scale, including ingots, wafers, cells, and finished panels.

Qcells aims to complete the full solar supply chain under one roof by the end of this year, marking a significant step towards onshoring solar manufacturing in the U.S. Qcells’ investments in Georgia, including its existing facilities in Dalton and Cartersville, are expected to boost annual solar production capacity to 8.4 GW by the end of 2024, enough to power 1.3 million homes. The company has invested over $2.5 billion to enhance domestic solar manufacturing and innovation, supporting the U.S. energy transition.