Greetings everyone! If you’ve been keeping your ear to the ground in the solar industry, you may have come across a bit of game-changing news involving Microsoft and Qcells. Solar companies are making strides in leaps and bounds towards a more sustainable future, and this partnership is no exception.
In an eight-year alliance, Qcells, a significant contributor to clean energy solutions, will supply Microsoft with an impressive 12 GW of solar modules and EPC services. There are some huge numbers here – and for good reason. Microsoft, being a corporate juggernaut, has set some lofty goals for itself; aiming to fulfill all of its energy needs with renewable energy sources and planning to achieve carbon negativity, water positivity and zero waste all by 2030.
This massive project brings over 1.5 GW of solar panels per year to various worksites Microsoft operates until 2032, which is a significant contribution to the use of solar panels for your home. Essentially, the energy generated from these solar arrays for home usage will be sufficient to power 1.8 million homes every year. A figure that certainly speaks volumes about the potential of solar energy.
Qcells will be manufacturing these solar modules domestically in Cartersville, Georgia. The factory, a part of Qcells’ greater vision of complete solar supply chain in the U.S., reiterates the company’s investment in clean, sustainable energy solutions, and establishes Hanwha Solutions subsidiary – Qcells – as the first solar company to craft a fully integrated silicon-based solar supply chain in the U.S soil.
What’s a crucial point to note is that this initiative is propelling the domestic growth and production of solar modules, managing to promote a resilient supply chain while contributing to the clean energy economy. It’s in these types of partnerships that the future of the solar energy industry is being built.
Moreover, Qcells’ collaboration with REC Silicon reinforces the shared commitment these solar companies possess, contributing to the needs of the U.S. solar supply chain. The desired outcome? By 2024, they anticipate solar production capacity will reach a whopping 8.4 GW a year between the Cartersville and Dalton facilities!
What does all this mean for you? Well, if you’ve been considering solar panels for your home, these developments are promising signs. It shows how rapidly the industry is growing, and how the future of energy is likely to be dominated by solar. As more solar companies make similar, groundbreaking strides, this will lead to greater accessibility and affordability of solar arrays for home use.
This is an exciting time to be involved in the solar industry. Microsoft’s commitment to a sustainable future, coupled with Qcells’ significant investments, is surely propelling a global shift towards renewable energy. Stay tuned for more updates and exciting developments in the solar sphere as we continue embracing and advancing the power of the sun!
Original Article: https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/01/08/qcells-inks-its-largest-module-and-epc-agreement/