Qcells announced plans to launch new versions of its residential solar panel series featuring U.S.-made aluminum frames by the end of 2026.
The updated residential product offerings, which include the company’s Q.Tron AC and Q.Peak Duo AC lines, will incorporate aluminum frames extruded, anodized, and fabricated at supplier Aluko Group’s integrated facility in Halls, Tennessee. The initiative is aimed at helping residential installers and third-party ownership TPO providers qualify for the Investment Tax Credit ITC domestic content bonus adder.
Under the Treasury Department’s domestic content guidance, solar hardware must meet specific domestic manufacturing thresholds to qualify for the 10% tax credit bonus. Qcells noted that keeping all three core stages of frame manufacturing, including extrusion, anodization, and fabrication, within the United States provides greater clarity for installers and financing partners when evaluating compliance.
The domestic frame offering comes as the statutory domestic content threshold for clean energy projects begins stepping up toward 55% for projects commencing construction in 2027.
“Through this partnership to produce modules with domestic frames, we are furthering our commitment to U.S. manufacturing, supporting clean, affordable energy and giving our customers the certainty they need to qualify projects for the domestic content bonus,” said Il Hyeong No, head of Qcells North America’s residential business.
Supply chain localized in Tennessee
Aluko Group’s manufacturing plant in Lauderdale County, Tennessee, is expected to reach full commercial production by the end of 2026. Once operational, the plant will have a planned annual capacity to manufacture enough frames to support 4 GW of solar modules.
Aluko plans to invest more than $107 million into the facility over five years, creating 285 full-time jobs. The company operates what it describes as the only facility in the U.S. performing all three major frame production steps under one roof.
“By carrying out extrusion, anodizing, and fabrication here in the United States, we are delivering a product that offers transparency and confidence at every step of the process,” said Jinwoo Park, president of Aluko Group.
The move expands Qcells’ broader domestic manufacturing push across its vertically integrated operations in Dalton and Cartersville, Georgia, where the company operates large-scale module and component assembly operations.
Want to learn more about the scaling of U.S. solar supply chains and domestic content rules? Join us for pv magazine USA Week to attend the session Scaling Solar Production in the U.S. This panel addresses the real-world execution of policy-driven announcements, scaling domestic production, and navigating complex domestic content thresholds.
The session will feature Qcells Global Chief Technology Officer Danielle W. Merfeld alongside fellow expert panelists Finlay Colville, Founder of Terawatt PV Research; Jim Wood, CEO of SEG Solar; and Zennia Villanueva, Vice President of Quality at RETC, part of the VDE Group. Register for pv magazine USA Week today to reserve your spot.
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