In the topsy-turvy world of US energy policy, some politically conservative states are pushing the solar industry envelope the hardest. Texas is one obvious example, and now a startup that specializes in transportable microgrids is putting deep red South Carolina on the map with a new 1.3-giawatt solar factory. South Carolina Grows Its Solar Industry South Carolina ranks #24 in a 50-state ranking of installed solar capacity, a relatively respectable but not particularly impressive showing. Only 3.9% of the state’s electricity comes from solar, and the outlook for improving on that score is remote in the coming years. The Solar Energy Industries Association estimates that South Carolina will add just a little over 1.7 gigawatts of solar during the next five years, placing the state down at #36 for projected growth. As may be expected, South Carolina’s solar manufacturing sector has also barely gotten off the ground. As of June, SEIA listed a total of just 516 solar jobs in the state spread among 105 entities including installers, developers, and other related firms as well as manufacturers. With those numbers in mind, the new factory represents a giant step up for South Carolina’s solar industry. Under the wing of the Charleston-based firm Translucent Energy, the new factory officially went into motion in Summerville on August 17 with a 1.3 gigawatt first-phase operation that will create 167 jobs before the end of the year and more to come when follow-on phases materialize as planned. A New Solar Industry Showcase Translucent is determined to put its home state on the map, producing solar modules across the board for utility-scale, commercial, industrial, and residential users. Considering the slow pace of solar development within South Carolina, Translucent will most likely focus on markets elsewhere around the US, and the firm is banking on a high-quality reputation to attract attention. “Having spent more than three decades developing high-volume photovoltaic manufacturing in four continents, I know that exceptional products come from disciplined processes, not just advanced equipment,” explains the company’s CTO, Dr. Nabih Cherradi. “Our Summerville facility has been designed to deliver American-made solar modules that meet the highest international quality standards, providing customers with reliable, high-performance products they can trust,” Dr. Cherradi emphasized in a press statement. The Polysilicon Angle Translucent is also among the solar factory stakeholders celebrating President Donald Trump’s proclamation of August 6. Issued under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the new directive is aimed at limiting imports of polysilicon, a key ingredient in solar cells. The August 6 order also set the wheels in motion to incentivize domestic polysilicon production. “The timing could not be better. We welcome the Section 232 tariffs on polysilicon and its derivatives announced on August 6: they give American solar manufacturers like us the long-term certainty needed to invest at scale,” explains Translucent Managing Director Augustus Rylands. “Summerville is the first step in our multi-year plan, and we intend to expand into U.S. cell and wafer manufacturing in the near future,” Ryland emphasizes. One Solar Factory After Another As for why the President decided to do Translucent and other solar manufacturers a solid with his new polysilicon decree, that’s a good question. After all, when Trump introduced the American Energy Dominance plan last year, solar energy was excluded from consideration under the terms of an outdated “reliability” standard, alongside wind. While the US wind industry is struggling through an existential crisis as a result of the American Energy Dominance Plan, one new solar factory after another has been rising in the US since Trump took office. “2025 was a monumental year for the US solar manufacturing industry,” notes SEIA. “New cell capacity continued to expand, and wafer capacity came online for the first time since 2016. Module manufacturing grew more than 50% in 2025, with 65.5 GW of capacity online, up from 42.5 GW at the end of 2024.” In addition, the Trump administration has also continued to provide financial support for the energy storage industry, which in turn supports the solar industry. The speed-to-power factor checks another solar box, too. The US solar industry lays claim to the fastest construction timeline of any other domestic energy resource. Speed-to-power is a particularly valuable asset as the never-ending war in Iran drags on and the EV market begins to recover from last year’s crash. SEIA further notes that, despite the fresh wave of activity, solar output currently falls “considerably” below demand, providing up-and-comers like Translucent with an opportunity to get a foot in the door. The Microgrid Solution In addition to manufacturing solar modules, Translucent has also developed a transportable, containerized microgrid portfolio under the brand name TAU. The solar modules come assembled onto a platform that unfolds, which can be affixed to a roof or mounted on the ground. The system can be folded back up and transported elsewhere as needed. Translucent has a long list of customers in mind: Microgrids and rural electrificationElectric vehicles charging infrastructureEmergency relief servicesRefugee camps and temporary settlementsWater treatment facilitiesGreenhouses and agriculture systemsTelecom off-grid facilitiesRemote islands and resortsOutdoor eventsBackup power generation operationsMining, industrial and roadwayMilitary installations The company also markets another microgrid system called EV-E, designed with integrated EV charging stations. “The whole infrastructure is designed for efficient set-up and seamless operation,” Translucent notes. “Each charger includes a technical interface that allows us to remotely monitor, configure, and update the station, allowing developers to set up cost-effective, easily deployed and resilient EV charging networks.fast decision-making.” Customers can choose the EV-E4 configuration to charge up to four EVs at a time, or charge up to 7 EVs with the EV-E7 configuration. More EV Charging Stations For Solarized EV Fleets Additional options are available for fleets, too. Translucent offers a fully customized microgrid and EV charging system for fleets. Depending on the customer, the entire system can be operated off-grid, or it can operate with a grid connection. “The solar is custom configured to either be a canopy, roof or ground mounted, based on the customer’s needs,” Translucent adds. “The amount of solar, storage and chargers installed will be dependent on the number of vehicles to charge simultaneously and the speed of charge.” The EV-E BASE rounds out Translucent’s charging portfolio. The BASE system accommodates developers who have already selected their own EV charging stations and are expanding into areas where a solar-enabled microgrid can overcome grid bottlenecks. The system can operate fully off-grid, or it can support grid connections that take advantage of lower off-peak electricity costs. Photo: The solar-enabled microgrid specialist Translucent Energy has just added a new 1.3 gigawatt solar factory to its portfolio, with plans for further expansion already under way (cropped, courtesy of Translucent Energy).
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