US‑based Suniva, a manufacturer of high‑efficiency monocrystalline silicon solar cells, has announced it will build a 4.5 GW solar cell manufacturing facility in Laurens, South Carolina, with a projected opening in Q2 2027.
Combined with its existing plant in metro Atlanta, the move will lift Suniva’s total domestic cell capacity to over 5.5 GW per year, making it the largest merchant solar cell manufacturer in the United States.
The 620,000 square‑foot Laurens facility represents a major investment in advanced manufacturing and clean energy and is expected to create hundreds of high-skilled jobs. Suniva says the expansion strengthens energy security by keeping solar cell design, technology and production fully in the United States, reducing exposure to foreign supply chain and geopolitical risks.
Suniva CEO Tony Etnyre said the project reinforces US leadership in solar manufacturing and positions domestically produced renewable energy as a core pillar of America’s long‑term energy strategy.
President and COO Matt Card framed the 5.5 GW of annual capacity as both an industrial and national security imperative, underscoring how American‑made solar cells will increasingly underpin a grid reliant on clean, secure power.
