Solar manufacturing refers to the fabrication and assembly of materials across the solar value chain, the most obvious being solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, which include many subcomponents like wafers, cells, glass, backsheets, and frames. Aside from panels, there are many different manufactured products that are required for solar energy systems, including inverters, wiring, combiner boxes, and racking and tracking structures—and that’s just for PV. Concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) systems require the manufacturing of heliostats, receivers, and thermal storage systems, for example. Learn more about how PV manufacturing works.
Domestic manufacturing of solar hardware creates jobs, produces ancillary economic activity, and promotes energy independence.