Suniva raises $835 million to drive 4.5 GW in new domestic cell capacity

Suniva, a solar cell maker, has raised $835 million to build a new factory in Laurens County, South Carolina. The plant will add 4.5 gigawatts of production capacity and is set to open in late 2027, ramping up to full output in 2028. Combined with its existing plant in Norcross, Georgia, Suniva's total capacity will reach 5.5 gigawatts. The $600 million project is expected to create 564 manufacturing jobs.

This is industry news rather than something that changes what a homeowner does right now, but it points to where solar panel costs may be headed. The U.S. government recently imposed new trade rules on imported solar cells, including a minimum import price of 22 cents per watt plus a 15% tariff. Those measures have already pushed the price of finished solar modules higher, back up to levels last seen in 2023. The tariffs make it more attractive for companies to manufacture solar cells inside the U.S., which is part of why Suniva is expanding now.

For homeowners weighing a solar installation, the takeaway is that panel prices have risen recently due to these trade policies, and domestic manufacturing capacity like Suniva's new plant is one response to that shift. It will take a couple of years for this new supply to come online, so it will not have an immediate effect on quotes you might get today, but it could shape module availability and pricing further out.