Vice President Kamala Harris announced the largest-ever order of panels for community solar projects in the U.S.
Harris
said that South Korean solar cell manufacturer Qcells and the
Virginia-based Summit Ridge Energy firm had committed to deploying 1.2
gigawatts of energy, enough to generate clean electricity for ~140,000
homes and businesses.
- Harris made the
announcement at Qcells' facility in Dalton, Georgia, as part of the
White House's nationwide "Invest in America" tour.
- The
Qcells-Summit deal will require the manufacturing of 2.5 million solar
panels that will likely be used to build community solar projects in
Illinois, Maine, and Maryland.
- In January, Qcells said that it would invest $2.5B to expand its solar panel manufacturing facilities in Georgia.
- The Qcells project will benefit from tax credits created by the Inflation Reduction Act for renewable energy component manufacturers.
- Qcells projects that it will supply ~30% of U.S. solar panel demand by 2027.
- Community solar generally
refers to small solar farms that supply clean energy to the members of a
community. Alternatively, participants receive credit on their energy
bills in exchange for the solar power their panels produce.
- The White House said that participating in community solar saves customers an average of 10% on their annual energy bills.
