Qcells said normal solar panel production has resumed at its Georgia solar manufacturing facilities after a temporary pause
The company expects its Cartersville factory to reach 3.3 GW capacity for ingots, wafers, and cells by the end of 2026
Combined operations at the Dalton and Cartersville facilities are targeted to produce 8.4 GW of solar panels and components and employ nearly 4,000 workers by 2026
Qcells, part of South Korea’s Hanwha Group, has resumed normal production of solar panels at its Georgia factories after a ‘temporary pause’ due to a customs clearance process.
In a brief statement, the manufacturer said its Cartersville factory is expected to reach 3.3 GW of ingots, wafers, and cells by the end of 2026.
“We are proud to be back to work manufacturing the American-made energy the country needs right now. Like any company, hurdles have and will occur, which requires us to adapt and be nimble, but our overall goal remains the same — to build a complete American solar supply chain,” said Head of Communications at Qcells, Marta Stoepker.
While the company does not specify any details in the short announcement, Qcells had to furlough over 1,000 employees at its Georgia factories in November 2025 as its shipments were reportedly stuck in customs clearance. The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) suspected the use of Chinese components banned under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) in the company shipments, which Qcells denied. This followed months of under-operations at the factories (see Qcells Furloughs Georgia Staff Following Customs Hold-Up).
By the end of 2026, it targets its Dalton and Cartersville factories in Georgia to have a combined workforce of nearly 4,000.
Qcells’ Cartersville location has been producing solar modules since April 2025, while the Dalton factory – operational since 2019 – has 5.1 GW of capacity. By 2026-end, these 2 facilities together are targeted to produce 8.4 GW of solar panels and their key components.
Qcells aims to establish a complete solar supply chain in Georgia with 8.4 GW of capacity across ingots, wafers, cells, and modules. It also unveiled plans for an encapsulant fab in Georgia, aiming to become the only US solar EVA producer (see US Solar PV Encapsulant Fab From Hanwha Group).
