China’s Trina Solar, one of the world’s largest solar panel makers, has announced it will build a 5 gigawatt (GW) solar panel factory in Texas.
The factory will be in Wilmer, which is southeast of Dallas. The $200 million facility will be more than 1 million square feet in size and will create 1,500 local jobs. Trina Solar says it will source polysilicon, a key raw material in the solar supply chain, from the US and Europe. The factory will come online in 2024.
The Texas factory will produce Trina’s Vertex modules that incorporate 210mm silicon wafers that allow over 600W power output and up to 21.4% module efficiency.
Steven Zhu, president of Trina Solar US, said, “We have long had a vision to manufacture solar products in the United States, and we are proud of the jobs we are creating and the investment we are making in the Wilmer community. Trina’s goal in building this facility is to begin to create an ecosystem of American manufacturing that can serve the burgeoning US solar market.”
Changzhou-headquartered Trina Solar, which was founded in 1997 and has shipped more than 150 GW of solar panels to more than 100 countries, was one of the Chinese solar companies determined by the US Department of Commerce (DOC) in August to be circumventing US tariffs by doing minor processing in Southeast Asian countries before shipping its solar products to the US. In January, Trina Solar announced it would open a factory in Vietnam in order to comply with US trade laws – and this huge US factory announcement is clearly in response to the US tariff slap on Trina’s panels after the DOC’s ruling.
(Disclosure: I just had Trina solar panels installed on my roof by Sunrun.)
Read more: Chinese solar firm to open a US factory – a manufacturing win for Biden
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –ad*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
