American-made solar panels: Who are the top manufacturers?

The phrase "Made in America" carries weight. Whether it's a pair of jeans, a small business, or the solar panels on your neighbor's roof, there's something meaningful about supporting your community. One way you can invest in your local economy? Buy American-made solar equipment. There's never been a better time—more solar panels than ever are now being made in the U.S.

American solar manufacturing has been on a roll, but recent policy changes are creating turbulence for the industry just as it was hitting its stride. Still, if you're shopping for solar panels and want to keep your dollars stateside, you have plenty of solid options.

We've rated thousands of solar panels made by dozens of manufacturers based on efficiency, power output, warranty, and other important specs that allow each panel to make the most possible electricity over the longest period. Some of these American-made panels (and the inverters they connect to) are among the top-rated, most popular solar equipment on the EnergySage Marketplace.

First Solar 

Ohio-based First Solar is the largest manufacturer of solar panels in the U.S., producing about 25% more panels than the next-biggest American-made brand. The company mainly produces panels for commercial or industrial-scale installations, which means the individual panels are less efficient than those typically used on residential rooftops, where the goal is to place as much capacity as possible in the limited available space.

Qcells

Qcells is the second-largest manufacturer of solar panels in the U.S., the second most-popular brand on the EnergySage marketplace, and one of the most popular residential solar panel manufacturers, American-made or otherwise.

While Qcells is based in South Korea, the company recently opened a solar panel manufacturing plant in Georgia. Although not all of their panels are American-made (at least, not yet), you'll still be supporting American manufacturing by choosing Qcells.

Other notable names in American solar manufacturing include Solar4America, Silfab Solar, Heliene, Jinko Solar, and Mission Solar.

Here's the full list as of August 2025, according to the DOE:

It's worth pointing out that none of the American-made solar panels have cracked the very top tier of our performance rankings (those honors belong to Maxeon, VSUN, and REC, each of which builds their panels in other countries). 

But U.S.-made panels such as Qcells and Canadian Solar, are ranked close behind. Sometimes, as with QCells, U.S. panels cost less to install, which can mean a faster payback period on your investment – even if the long-term energy production over multiple decades might not be quite as robust.

Looking at the broader supply chain for solar components, there are 52 companies that manufacture those products in the U.S., according to the DOE. These components include inverters, controllers, racking systems, and more. Another 12 U.S. outfits can recycle old solar equipment.

One of the most notable companies here is Enphase, whose IQ series microinverters and controllers are wildly popular on the EnergySage Marketplace. About 74% of solar quotes on EnergySage in the first half of 2024 included Enphase microinverters — more than four times the number of the next-biggest inverter brand, Tesla. Enphase’s manufacturing is contracted out to third-party factories in Wisconsin (Foxconn) and South Carolina (Flex), according to the DOE.

American solar manufacturing was experiencing a remarkable boom, but recent policy changes have created uncertainty for the industry. The numbers tell an incredible story of growth: Domestic solar panel manufacturing capacity grew 619%, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The U.S. experienced a fivefold increase in solar panel production since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, with U.S. facilities beginning to produce solar cells domestically toward the end of 2024 for the first time since 2019.

This manufacturing renaissance was driven by a combination of tax credits working in tandem. The 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production tax credit incentivized domestic production, while the 48C Advanced Energy Project tax credit supported investments in facilities that produce clean energy components. Meanwhile, residential and commercial tax credits stimulated demand—over 1.2 million homeowners used the residential tax credit in 2023 alone, according to Rewiring America.

However, recent legislation has compressed timelines dramatically. The residential solar tax credit now ends completely after December 31, 2025, giving families just months to complete installations. Commercial projects face their own deadline pressures, with projects beginning construction after June 2026 required to be placed in service by the end of 2027 to claim tax credits.

These compressed timelines are creating supply chain disruptions. Commercial developers are stockpiling panels, inverters, and other components through "safe harboring" provisions to secure tax credits before they disappear. This equipment stockpiling is pulling products off the market that would otherwise be available to residential installers, creating tighter supply conditions across the industry.

The timing creates a challenging paradox for domestic manufacturers who were finally establishing stable market positions. After years of building toward energy independence, the industry finds itself at a crossroads where policy uncertainty threatens the very manufacturing base it was designed to strengthen.

Global competition remains strong

Even though American manufacturing has grown significantly, the bulk of panels and components still come from overseas. China continues to control more than 80% of the global solar supply chain, and even American-assembled panels often use components sourced from abroad.

Four of the biggest manufacturers are headquartered in China and primarily manufacture equipment there (though one of them, Jinko Solar, does have an American manufacturing facility in Florida). The fifth largest manufacturer is a Canadian company, Canadian Solar, which also has a manufacturing facility in Texas.

If you want to make sure you get American-made panels, you might have to shop around for an installer that gives you that choice. Some solar installers work exclusively, or near exclusively, with specific brands, which may or may not have U.S.-based plants. 

When you register for the EnergySage Marketplace, we’ll let our installer network know that you’re looking for equipment that’s made in America, and aim to get you multiple quotes. Our Energy Advisors can help you sort through your options. Learn more and sign up here.