The ribbon cutting at Q CELLS
Q CELLS, one of the largest solar cell and module manufacturers in the world, Friday marked the grand opening of its Dalton facility, the largest solar panel manufacturing factory in the Western Hemisphere, with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, a representative from President Trump’s Commerce Department (Assistant Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler), local officials, regional economic development groups and company leaders in attendance.
The 300,000 square foot facility, which employs 650 local workers, signals a renaissance in U.S. solar manufacturing. Its annual production of 1.7 GW of solar module capacity is nearly equivalent to the peak power output of Hoover Dam, and the Dalton facility will be producing this each and every year. Georgia is currently the fourth leading state by solar installations in the country, and the Southern United States will be the leading regional source of solar demand for each of the next five years. The 12,000 Q CELLS panels that will be produced every day in Georgia by the end of 2019 will go a long way towards satisfying the U.S. solar industry’s growing demand, said officials.
“Dalton and northwest Georgia are now a hub for the manufacturing of clean, renewable energy sources," said Governor Kemp. "I thank Q CELLS for their investment in this community and the opportunities that hundreds of hardworking Georgians will now have thanks to the local production of best-in-class solar. We’re very proud that Q CELLS is making Georgia their home.
“Q CELLS believes in the U.S. market and is dedicated to increasing the strength of American solar manufacturing here in Georgia, for the benefit of our customers around the country," said Hee Cheul Kim, CEO, Q CELLS. "With the capacity of this massive facility at work in the southeast, Georgia will continue growing in its standing as a national solar leader while adding hundreds of highly skilled manufacturing jobs. This vibrant facility marks major growth for the U.S. solar industry and overall solar adoption, and it also represents our investment in a cleaner, sustainable future for our planet.”
Q CELLS invested nearly $200 million to build this facility with the express purpose of serving the U.S. market. From Georgia, Q CELLS will supply high-performance, high-quality photovoltaic modules to American consumers, companies and facilities, including the new Facebook data center located east of Atlanta.
With the new facility, Q CELLS is doubling down on its commitment to Georgia and the U.S. market by accelerating advanced manufacturing growth in a state that has become one of the largest solar markets in the country. The company continues to hire for key roles at the new facility.