Here’s a summary of U.S. solar panel production and manufacturing capacity over roughly the past decade (2015–2025), emphasizing how domestic output has changed — especially as capacity and policy shifted in recent years:
Trends in U.S. Solar Panel Production (2015–2025)
2015–2019: Early Years — Minimal Domestic Manufacturing
- Through the mid-2010s, the U.S. had very limited domestic solar panel production. Most PV panels installed in the U.S. were imported, particularly from Asia, and U.S. cell/module manufacturing capacity was only a few gigawatts per year.
- Domestic capacity before 2020 was small, with little sustained growth in manufacturing infrastructure.
(Precise yearly numbers for this period are not centrally reported in publicly available SEIA tables online, but industry research notes that domestic module production was relatively modest compared to imports before the pandemic and major policy shifts.)
2020–2021: Slow Start, Still Predominantly Imports
- In 2020 and 2021, domestic solar manufacturing remained limited. Capacity was built up slowly, with few major new factories coming online, and most panels installed in the U.S. continued to be imported.
- A notable point: U.S. solar cell production had effectively waned, and 2019 was the first time in years that solar cell production resumed domestically at scale.
2022–2025: Rapid Growth Fueled by Policy & Investment
The biggest surge in U.S. solar panel production indicators comes after the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which included substantial incentives for domestic clean energy manufacturing.
Production Capacity Growth (Module Manufacturing)
- 2022: U.S. solar module manufacturing capacity was roughly 8 GW per year.
- 2023: Domestic capacity nearly doubled, rising to ~16 GW.
- 2024: Multiple milestones:
- Q1 2024 saw 11 GW of new module capacity added, pushing total to about 26 GW.
- Later in 2024, several new or expanded factories brought module capacity toward nearly 40 GW.
- End of 2024–Early 2025: Domestic solar panel (module) manufacturing capacity surpassed 50 GW.
- Late 2025: U.S. added more capacity, bringing total module manufacturing capability to about 60 GW.
Note: Capacity (GW/year) here refers to how much the U.S. could produce annually if factories were running at full output, not necessarily how many watts were actually produced. But capacity is a strong proxy for production trends.
Solar Cell Production Restart
- In 2024, silicon solar cell production resumed domestically for the first time since roughly 2019, adding another layer of U.S. manufacturing.
- By 2025, U.S. cell production capacity had more than tripled from earlier years.
Installed Solar vs. Manufactured Panels
- The United States also saw record solar additions in deployment — for example, around 50 GW installed in 2024, driven by both demand and falling technology costs.
- Despite the fast growth of manufacturing capacity, production still cannot fully meet total U.S. solar demand, so imports remain significant.
Big Picture: Last 10 Years
| Year Range | Approx. U.S. Solar Panel Production/Capacity Trend |
|---|---|
| 2015–2019 | Low domestic manufacturing; heavy reliance on imports |
| 2020–2021 | Minimal capacity growth; solar demand rising |
| 2022 | Policy shift (Inflation Reduction Act) begins accelerating manufacturing growth |
| 2023 | Domestic module capacity ~16 GW |
| 2024 | Capacity grows rapidly to ~40–50 GW |
| 2025 | Capacity approaches ~60 GW; cell production ramps up significantly |
Why It Matters
- Policy has been the key driver — incentives like those in the Inflation Reduction Act strongly boosted domestic solar panel production capacity.
- The U.S. is strengthening its solar manufacturing base, but production still doesn’t fully replace imports (especially cells and upstream inputs) and continues to grow.
- Trade actions and tariffs on imports (e.g., on panels from India/Asia) are shaping how domestic and foreign production interact in the U.S. market.