Canadian Solar has commenced trial production at its flagship heterojunction (HJT) solar cell factory in Jeffersonville, Indiana, with commercial operations targeted to begin in July 2026.

The milestone was announced as part of the company’s first-quarter 2026 financial results released on May 14. According to the company, trial production for Phase I of the Jeffersonville facility began in April 2026, marking a major step in Canadian Solar’s expansion of domestic U.S. solar manufacturing capacity.

Canadian Solar is developing the Jeffersonville plant as a state-of-the-art HJT solar cell manufacturing facility. The factory’s first phase delivers a nameplate production capacity of 2.1 GWp, and the company expects it to become one of the first commercial-scale HJT solar cell facilities in the United States once full operations begin.

The company also confirmed plans to expand the site beyond its initial 5 GWp target in response to strong customer demand. Additional production lines are currently being installed and commissioned through 2026.

Second phase

Under the second phase of the project, Canadian Solar expects to begin trial production in early 2027, adding another 4.2 GWp of annual production capacity. Once complete, the Jeffersonville facility will increase the company’s total U.S. solar cell manufacturing capacity to 6.3 GWp.

The Indiana project forms part of Canadian Solar’s broader U.S. manufacturing strategy, which also includes expansion of its Mesquite, Texas solar module factory from 5 GWp to 10 GWp by the second half of 2026.

Dr. Shawn Qu, Executive Chairman and Chief Technology Officer of Canadian Solar, said the Jeffersonville facility represents a key milestone in strengthening the American solar supply chain as the company deepens its U.S. manufacturing footprint.

The expansion of U.S. solar cell manufacturing comes as utility-scale demand continues to grow across key markets such as Texas, where developers like Sunraycer Renewables are advancing large solar and battery storage portfolios supported by recent project financing activity.

Factsheet: Canadian Solar Jeffersonville HJT Solar Cell Factory

• Project: Jeffersonville HJT Solar Cell Factory
• Developer: Canadian Solar
• Location: Jeffersonville, Indiana
• Technology: Heterojunction (HJT) solar cell manufacturing
• Facility Type: Utility-scale solar cell manufacturing plant
• Current Status: Trial production underway
• Trial Production Start: April 2026
• Commercial Operations Target: July 2026
• Phase I Capacity: 2.1 GWp
• Phase II Capacity Addition: 4.2 GWp
• Total Planned Capacity: 6.3 GWp
• Phase II Trial Production: Expected in early 2027

Strategic Significance:

Expected to become one of the first commercial-scale HJT solar cell factories in the United States

• Related U.S. Facility: Mesquite, Texas solar module factory
• Mesquite Expansion: Capacity increasing from 5 GWp to 10 GWp by the second half of 2026
• Announcement Date: May 14, 2026