A company with little recorded experience claims it is opening a solar panel assembly site in Shenandoah County, Virginia, as announced today by Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
The Mount Jackson facility on GoogleMaps.
The news release says that MSolar Manufacturing will invest $23.775 million into a 56,000-ft2 warehouse in Mount Jackson, Virginia, with plans to also make solar glass and HJT cells. Once operational, MSolar reps expect the facility to make “more than half a million HJT solar panels annually.” Solar Power World estimates that to be a sub-250-MW annual production capacity.
“By choosing to invest in Mount Jackson, MSolar is creating new career opportunities in the Shenandoah Valley and helping make sure Virginia has the infrastructure to make energy more affordable and reliable for local communities across our Commonwealth,” Spanberger said. The MSolar site is projected to create 150 jobs in the region.
MSolar’s experience in the U.S. solar industry appears to be confined to a failed attempt to build a 54-MW solar project in Virginia in 2021.
“We’re building the foundation of a vertically integrated solar manufacturing platform here in Virginia,” said MSolar CEO Michael O’Connor in the governor’s news announcement. “This factory represents the first step in our long-term strategy to expand domestic solar production and deliver high-performance technology for energy projects. We believe the future of solar will be defined by performance, domestic content, energy security and top customer service, and MSolar is positioning itself at the center of that transition. We’re excited to grow alongside the Commonwealth as we scale our platform.”
Local reporting from Virginia Business says that the Mount Jackson facility is expected to begin panel production in August.
A few years ago, there were some imported solar panels floating around the market with “mSolar” branding. Those panels, likely sold by Mission Solar, have no relation to this MSolar brand starting up in Virginia.
