Suniva plans to establish a 4.5 GW solar cell manufacturing facility in Laurens, South Carolina. The facility is expected to open in the second quarter of 2027. The 620,000 sq. ft. facility represents an investment of over $350 million which along with Suniva’s existing Atlanta facility will raise the company’s total US solar cell manufacturing capacity to over 5.5 GW annually.
Founded in 2007, Suniva is one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of monocrystalline solar cells in North America. The company originated from the University Center for Excellence in Photovoltaics at Georgia Tech, with additional backing from research funded by the US Department of Energy.
In 2025, Suniva and module manufacturer Heliene announced a deal with Corning to make a solar module made with polysilicon, wafers and cells manufactured in the United States. Corning is supplying wafers made from polysilicon from Hemlock Semiconductor, of which Corning is a majority owner.
In November 2025, First Solar announced plans to set up a new facility in South Carolina, to complete the production process for its Series 6 Plus modules. The company plans to invest approximately $330 million in the plant, which is scheduled to begin commercial operations in the second half of 2026. The facility is expected to add 3.7 GW of manufacturing capacity.
REGlobal’s Views: The tightening of solar imports, changing geopolitics and ensuring supply chain risks for solar projects have led to an uptick in expansion of solar manufacturing facilities across the US. Many players like Suniva have announced new factories to expand their portfolios, especially as the continues to be a top solar market witnessing massive investments despite policy flux.