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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

South Korea–Based Qcells Plans Dalton, Georgia, Solar Panel Plant

06/18/2022
Seoul, South Korea–based Qcells, the world’s leading clean energy solutions provider, will invest $171 million in a solar panel manufacturing facility in Dalton, Georgia. The $171 million project is expected to create 470 jobs in Whitefield County.

The investment will boost production of advanced photovoltaic modules that will help the U.S. achieve its goals of decarbonizing the electric grid, according to company officials. Groundbreaking is planned for fall 2022 and operation is expected to commence within the first half of 2023.

“Our additional investment in Dalton will help Qcells better serve the needs of U.S. customers with increased local manufacturing capacity,” said Qcells CEO Justin Lee. “Georgia has become the clean energy manufacturing heart of America, and we are proud to contribute to the state's advanced manufacturing economy.”

Located near its existing 1.7-gigawatt factory in Dalton, the new facility will bring Qcells’ total capacity in the U.S. to 3.1 gigawatts, equivalent to one-third of the country’s solar module manufacturing capacity. The location will produce 1.4 gigawatts of solar modules per year made with Qcells’ next generation photovoltaic cells, a high efficiency tunnel oxide passivated contact technology, better known as TOPCon.

“There is no doubt that we are witnessing the rebirth of the solar panel manufacturing industry in the United States, and Qcells is a pioneer in that movement," said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. "In 2019, the company opened their state-of-the-art facility in Dalton, which ultimately became the largest solar panel manufacturing facility in the Western Hemisphere. Today we celebrate not only the successes of the past, but the future that Qcells brings by expanding their footprint in Georgia. Many thanks to Qcells for continuing to invest in Georgia, solidifying our position as a leader in renewable energy job growth. Congratulations and thank you to our partners in Dalton and Whitfield County for creating a business friendly environment that provides companies the support they need to succeed.”

Hanwha Q Cells is a major manufacturer of photovoltaic solar cells. The company is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, after being founded in 1999 in Thalheim, Germany, where the company still has its engineering offices.

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