U.S. solar manufacturing capex to reach $12.2 billion by 2026

U.S. solar manufacturing is experiencing a significant surge in both investment and actual production. Cumulative capital expenditure (capex) in the domestic solar photovoltaic (PV) sector is forecast to reach $12.2 billion by the end of 2026. This figure, driven largely by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, represents more than 50% of all solar PV manufacturing spending in the United States since 2001.

In terms of output, domestic factories reached a milestone of 100 gigawatt-peak (GW) of cumulative solar PV module production by the second quarter of 2026. While the first 100 GW of production took approximately five decades to achieve, analysts suggest the next 100 GW could be produced in as little as three years. This shift marks a transition from speculative factory announcements toward tangible, measurable production output within the U.S. solar industry.