MSolar Manufacturing plans to invest nearly $23.8 million in a new solar-panel manufacturing facility in Mount Jackson, creating an estimated 150 jobs in Shenandoah County.
The Virginia-based company will establish a 56,000-square-foot facility designed to manufacture high-efficiency solar modules for utility-scale and commercial energy projects across the United States.
The operation is expected to produce more than 500,000 heterojunction, or HJT, solar panels annually once it is fully operational.
MSolar said the Mount Jackson facility will support several stages of production, including solar glass, silicon cells, HJT cells and the final assembly of completed solar modules. The company described the project as the first step in a broader effort to expand domestic solar manufacturing.
“We’re building the foundation of a vertically integrated solar manufacturing platform here in Virginia,” MSolar CEO Michael O’Connor said. “This factory represents the first step in our long-term strategy to expand domestic solar production and deliver high-performance technology for energy projects.”
O’Connor said the company expects the solar industry to place increasing emphasis on performance, domestic production, energy security and customer service.
“We’re excited to grow alongside the Commonwealth as we scale our platform,” he said.
Founded in 2018, MSolar is a Virginia-based solar-panel manufacturer pursuing a vertically integrated production model. The Mount Jackson facility will give the company the ability to produce several of the main components used in its panels rather than relying entirely on outside suppliers.
Shenandoah County officials said the project strengthens the county’s manufacturing sector, which has been identified as a priority in its economic-development plans.
“Shenandoah County is strategically positioned as a great location for manufacturing, as is evident through MSolar’s decision to locate their facility in Mount Jackson,” Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors Chairman Tim Taylor said.
Taylor said the company will add to the county’s existing mix of businesses and support its goal of attracting additional manufacturing investment.
Shenandoah Valley Partnership Executive Director Jay A. Langston said the project reflects the region’s workforce, supply chain and ability to support advanced manufacturing.
“MSolar’s decision to grow in the Shenandoah Valley is a testament to our region’s strong workforce, supply chain and ability to serve the next generation of American manufacturing,” Langston said.
State Sen. Timmy French said the project would create manufacturing jobs and support domestic energy production, while also emphasizing the need to protect agricultural land.
“Supporting domestic manufacturing and energy independence is important, and we must continue balancing that growth with responsible land-use policies that protect Virginia farmland and our agricultural economy,” French said.
Del. Justin L. Pence also distinguished between solar manufacturing and the use of farmland for large-scale solar projects.
“While I remain opposed to the loss of productive farmland to large-scale solar development, this investment is an important step toward ensuring that the technology powering America’s energy is made here in the United States rather than overseas,” Pence said.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Shenandoah County to secure the project. MSolar will also receive support through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program, which provides recruitment and workforce-training assistance to companies creating new jobs.
Information from a release. Edited by Dan McDermott.
