Heliene produces fully American solar panel for residential market

Solar panel maker Heliene has launched a new residential panel, the 108HC All-Black, made entirely with American-produced materials. The polysilicon comes from Hemlock, the wafers from Corning, and the solar cells from Suniva, with final assembly at Heliene's plants in Minnesota. That makes it the first fully domestic solar panel available for home installations.

Sunrun, one of the largest residential solar installers in the country, has signed a purchase agreement to use these panels in projects nationwide. Company officials say buying American-made panels helps protect against supply-chain disruptions and supports a more diversified list of suppliers, rather than relying heavily on imported components.

For a homeowner considering solar, this mainly means a new domestic-panel option may show up in quotes or installations from Sunrun going forward. Panels built entirely in the U.S. can be less exposed to overseas supply problems or import issues, and Heliene says the arrangement is meant to keep rooftop solar affordable even as more of the manufacturing moves home. There is no word yet on pricing differences, availability by state, or how quickly these panels will roll out to specific markets, so it is worth asking an installer whether this panel is being offered in your area if domestic manufacturing matters to you when choosing a system.