Suniva’s planning to bring hundreds of jobs to South Carolina. The solar company announced a $350 million investment to build a new solar cell factory in Laurens County. It’s the company’s first facility in the state.
Suniva plans to create 564 new jobs by 2027. The announcement came from Governor Henry McMaster’s office. The jobs will go to workers in Laurens County, which is a significant boost for the local economy.
The company will lease a facility on Commerce Boulevard in Laurens County. Production is set to start in early 2027. The facility itself is expected to open in the second quarter of 2027.
Suniva will lease a facility on Commerce Boulevard in Laurens County, with production kicking off in early 2027.
Suniva’s one of the largest and oldest merchant solar cell manufacturers in the United States. It’s also U.S.-owned and operated. Solar cells are the building blocks of solar panels. They’re the parts that actually convert sunlight into electricity.
Right now, Suniva has a production capacity of 1 gigawatt (GW). Once the new South Carolina plant is fully up and running, that number will jump to 5.5 GW. That’s a major increase in how much solar manufacturing the U.S. can handle on its own.
The expansion matters because the U.S. has been working to grow its own clean energy production. Having more solar cells made domestically means the country relies less on other nations for this key technology. Suniva’s new plant is a big part of that push. This domestic focus mirrors efforts by companies like First Solar, which is avoiding dependence on Chinese crystalline silicon supply chains through its own U.S. manufacturing expansion.
The $350 million investment is expected to have a wide impact. More than 550 jobs are headed to Laurens County alone. That’s a major win for a region that’ll benefit from both the jobs and the economic activity a plant this size brings.
The timeline is tight but clear. Production kicks off in early 2027. The facility opens in Q2 2027. And the full expansion to 5.5 GW comes after the plant’s fully operational.
Suniva’s South Carolina move signals a growing shift toward building more of the country’s solar supply chain right here at home. The new Laurens facility spans 620,000 square feet, making it a large-scale addition to domestic solar manufacturing infrastructure. A substantial portion of output through 2030 has already been pre-sold, reflecting just how strong demand for domestically produced solar cells has become.
