Only vertically integrated solar cell value chain in the US; modules using American-made cells expected to qualify for additional tax credits
Hanwha Solutions' Qcells division announced Wednesday that it has officially completed the solar cell production line at its Cartersville, Georgia factory and will begin mass production in July. The company spent through May inspecting utility facilities and manufacturing equipment before starting trial operations recently.
With the cell line now online, Hanwha Qcells has completed the final key stage of its vertical integration, adding to already-operating ingot, wafer and module lines. The Solar Hub is the only production facility in the United States to vertically integrate the major solar cell value chain. The company's US manufacturing capacity now stands at 3.3 gigawatts each for ingots, wafers and cells, and 8.6 GW for modules — the largest among solar manufacturers producing silicon cell-based modules in North America.
The company plans to begin full-scale mass production of US-made modules using cells manufactured at the Cartersville factory next month, as scheduled. Completing the Solar Hub allows Hanwha Qcells to maximize policy benefits tied to building a domestic solar manufacturing value chain.
The company will begin receiving additional Advanced Manufacturing Production Credits under the Inflation Reduction Act for cells and wafers produced at the Cartersville factory. As it upgrades its production lines and manufactures higher-efficiency products each year, the credits are expected to grow consistently. Hanwha Qcells projects it will receive $675 million in AMPC this year. Once all production lines at the Cartersville factory reach full operation in 2027, that figure is forecast to rise to $879 million, then $929 million in 2028 and approximately $1.1 billion in 2029.
Operating the full Solar Hub value chain will also raise the share of US-made components in its products, allowing the company to benefit from a price premium in a market that favors domestically produced goods. Under the IRA's Investment Tax Credit, power project developers who meet the domestic content bonus requirements receive an additional tax credit equivalent to 10 percent of total investment.
Whether a module uses American-made cells is considered a key factor in meeting those requirements. Hanwha Qcells said modules incorporating ingots, wafers and cells produced at the Cartersville factory enjoy strong customer preference, which supports premium pricing.
According to global market research firm Wood Mackenzie, Hanwha Qcells held a 38.5 percent share of the US residential module market in 2025, ranking first for eight consecutive years, and a 15.5 percent share of the commercial module market, holding the top position for seven consecutive years.
"The completion of the US Solar Hub is a milestone where our technology and business capabilities have come to fruition, and it is meaningful in that we have established a forward base for our leap toward becoming a comprehensive renewable energy company," said Park Seung-deok, CEO of Hanwha Qcells. "We will achieve full-scale growth and improved profitability, and rise to lead the global renewable energy market."
keg@heraldcorp.com
