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Explore the two-day agenda for Solar Manufacturing USA 2026, covering production volumes, cell innovation, factory benchmarking, upstream manufacturing, production-line ownership, factory build-out, operating economics and the roadmap to 100 GW by 2035. 

September 22, 2026
September 23, 2026
September 22, 2026 at 9:00 AM — September 22, 2026 at 9:10 AM
Welcome to Solar Manufacturing USA 2026 in Austin, Texas
September 22, 2026 at 9:10 AM — September 22, 2026 at 9:50 AM
US solar manufacturing in 2026: production volumes and strategic investments

The opening session sets the scene for Solar Manufacturing USA 2026, combining a market-led overview of the domestic manufacturing base from conference Chair Finlay Colville with a C-level industry perspective on the technologies, strategic investments and execution realities driving U.S. solar production. 

September 22, 2026 at 9:50 AM — September 22, 2026 at 11:00 AM
US-led solar cell innovation: differentiating through technology

This session examines how solar cell manufacturing in the U.S. can be built around differentiation and innovation, focusing on the cell architectures, production equipment and technology roadmaps defining the sector. 

September 22, 2026 at 11:00 AM — September 22, 2026 at 11:30 AM
Coffee break
September 22, 2026 at 11:30 AM — September 22, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Benchmarking US solar factories: yields, quality and performance

This session features leading U.S. solar manufacturers sharing production-line metrics on yield, quality and performance, alongside independent testing, factory audits and due-diligence processes that help validate industry benchmarks. 

September 22, 2026 at 1:00 PM — September 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Lunch
September 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM — September 22, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Upstream manufacturing is underway: polysilicon, wafers and vertical integration

This session examines the upstream transition unfolding today as U.S. solar manufacturing moves from ambition to execution, with presentations from the companies leading new domestic ingot and wafer production. 

September 22, 2026 at 3:30 PM — September 22, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Coffee break
September 22, 2026 at 4:00 PM — September 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM
US-led solar cell manufacturing: specifying production lines for technical and commercial ownership

Extending the morning focus on cell innovation, this session examines how new U.S. solar cell lines are being specified to enable in-house ownership of technology choice, process-flow customization and Intellectual Property. 

September 22, 2026 at 6:00 PM — September 22, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Austin networking reception and evening social
September 23, 2026 at 9:00 AM — September 23, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Building US solar factories: EPC execution, equipment supply and turnkey lines

This session explores the capital build-out now underway across U.S. solar manufacturing, with a focus on the companies designing, equipping and delivering the factories and production lines behind new domestic capacity. 

September 23, 2026 at 10:30 AM — September 23, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Coffee break
September 23, 2026 at 11:00 AM — September 23, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Operating US solar factories: costs, materials and profitability

This session explores the OPEX side of U.S. solar manufacturing, with a focus on materials supply, cost control and the factory-level economics that will determine long-term viability. 

September 23, 2026 at 12:30 PM — September 23, 2026 at 1:30 PM
Lunch
September 23, 2026 at 1:30 PM — September 23, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Next-generation solar technologies: innovation shaped by US manufacturing

Technology selection for the first wave of new U.S. solar production lines is already spanning a broad range of options, including PERC, TOPCon and heterojunction. This session explores how the sector may evolve from today’s mixed manufacturing landscape toward higher-performing cell structures such as back-contact and tandem architectures, including perovskites. 

September 23, 2026 at 2:30 PM — September 23, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Defining the US Solar PV Technology Roadmap to 100 GW by 2035

This closing session uses the current U.S. manufacturing base as the springboard for defining a pathway to 100 GW by 2035. Through industry-led presentations and debate, the session asks how the sector gets there, what is still missing, and how today’s technologies, investments and manufacturing footprint can form the basis of a credible long-term roadmap. 

September 23, 2026 at 4:00 PM — September 23, 2026 at 4:15 PM
Close of event