Canadian Solar to open first U.S.-based solar module manufacturing facility

One of the only top, global solar module brands to not have a U.S.-based production facility in the works, Canadian Solar Inc., is ready to change that. The Ontario-based company has plans to establish a 5-GW solar PV module production facility in Mesquite, Texas.

That 5 GW capacity is the equivalent to approximately 20,000 high-power modules per day. The new facility represents an investment of over $250 million and will create approximately 1,500 skilled jobs once it is fully ramped up. Production is expected to begin around the end of 2023.

“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.” stated 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. We thank the State of Texas, Dallas County, and the City of Mesquite for their critical support and we look forward to working with them as we grow.”

In addition to this first foray into United States manufacturing, Canadian Solar has production facilities in Canada, China, Brazil, Thailand and Vietnam. In 2021, Canadian Solar relocated Recurrent Energy, its 17-year-old U.S. subsidiary, to Austin, spearheading the rapid growth of renewable energy in the Lone Star State as a solar and battery storage project developer.

“Canadian Solar’s new $250 million manufacturing plant in Mesquite will bolster Texas’ status as the energy capital of the world and secure our leadership as a global tech hub,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “I thank Canadian Solar for choosing Texas for their next U.S. business investment and for creating 1,500 new jobs in the region to help boost the community for generations to come.”

Canadian Solar tech | Canadian Solar is a leader in the development and commercialization of the novel Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) solar cell technology, which will be deployed in the modules produced at the Mesquite facility. TOPCon cells are a high-efficiency commercial solar PV technology and are highly optimized in bifacial modules, generating energy from both the front and the rear of the solar cell.

For more on n-type vs. p-type solar cells, read this feature.

— Solar Builder magazine

[source: https://solarbuildermag.com/news/canadian-solar-to-open-first-u-s-based-solar-module-manufacturing-facility/]