Towards a prosperous and enduring U.S. solar PV manufacturing ecosystem

Industry leaders in U.S. solar panel manufacturing are calling for closer coordination to build a complete domestic supply chain, from raw materials like polysilicon to finished solar modules. Since the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the U.S. has seen growth in solar panel assembly and now cell manufacturing, with wafer and ingot production expected to ramp up from 2028. But polysilicon, the base material for solar cells, remains a weak point. Beyond the main components, a full supply chain also needs specialized glass, chemicals, equipment, and trained workers, and gaps in any of these can hold back even well-built factories.

A group of manufacturers is proposing an industry-wide plan, modeled on a similar effort in the semiconductor industry, to map out where domestic production is most needed and where imports from reliable partners make sense. They plan to gather input from companies over the coming weeks and share early findings before a major solar trade show in Las Vegas in mid-November. The goal is to identify a handful of priority gaps, assign companies to tackle them, and track progress toward a 2030 target: American-made solar cells, using American polysilicon and wafers, built into American solar panels at competitive cost.

For homeowners, this doesn't change today's rebates or technology choices. It signals a longer-term push to strengthen U.S. solar manufacturing, which could eventually affect panel pricing, supply reliability, and domestic content rules tied to federal incentives.