Hanwha Solutions Qcells Division a global leader in complete clean energy solutions, has expanded its partnership with Summit Ridge Energy  the leading commercial solar company in the United States. Hanwha Qcells recently signed an agreement with SRE to supply an additional 800 megawatts (MW) of solar panels, for a total of 2 gigawatts by 2027. Additionally, the two companies will collaborate on energy storage system projects.  

The agreement builds on an existing 1.2-GW relationship between the two organizations, which was announced when U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visited the Hanwha Qcells Dalton factory in April 2023. Increasing the total commitment to 2 GW makes it the largest domestic community solar purchase in U.S. history and will allow SRE to pursue more than 100 additional community solar projects across the country. The majority of the solar panels purchased under this deal will be produced at Hanwha Qcells’ new U.S. manufacturing facility located in Georgia.

“Hanwha Qcells is recognized for its capabilities in solar energy manufacturing and system development, and it has secured orders for integrated solutions — including hardware such as modules and battery ESS (BESS) and software,” said Justin Lee, CEO of Hanwha Qcells. “We will continue to develop more competitive and comprehensive solutions that amplify synergy while meeting the needs of more customers.”

As the preferred supplier for ESS projects led by SRE, Hanwha Qcells will handle the procurement and supply process for ESS equipment and provide its proprietary energy management system (EMS) software solutions. EMS software optimizes ESS operations by considering various factors such as energy consumption patterns and power price fluctuations. Hanwha Qcells will continue to develop EMS software utilizing AI technology to help customers increase energy efficiency and help power plants improve price competitiveness.

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Qcells, which enables SRE to deliver on our promise of giving more Americans the opportunity to power their homes and businesses with locally generated clean energy,” said Brian Dunn, Chief Operating Officer of SRE. “Through our Qcells partnership, we are able to support domestic manufacturing and job creation, while simultaneously bringing low-cost clean energy to communities that have historically been left out of the clean energy transition.”

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