The United States solar manufacturing landscape is shifting rapidly, and one technology is outpacing all others in terms of announced capacity growth: heterojunction, or HJT. According to analysis published by PV Tech Research in September 2026, HJT module production is expanding faster than any other solar technology in the US, a development with meaningful implications for the domestic clean energy supply chain.
The Technology Breakdown: Who Holds What Share
To understand why HJT’s growth rate stands out, it helps to see where the overall US module market currently sits.
Tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) and passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) together account for more than 60% of projected US nameplate module capacity. First Solar’s thin-film technology, which dominates the solar cell segment — where it is expected to hold more than half of market share through at least 2027 — drops to roughly 20% of the module market, reflecting the different competitive dynamics at each stage of the manufacturing chain.
HJT, by contrast, holds a smaller absolute share today. But the announced pipeline tells a different story: PV Tech Research data shows over 15 GW of announced HJT module nameplate capacity, while PERC and TOPCon combined have announced nearly 5 GW of new capacity. That gap in announced additions is what makes HJT the fastest-growing technology in this segment.
What Is Driving HJT Expansion in the US?
Several factors appear to be converging. Earlier in 2026, multiple module manufacturers publicly announced domestic capacity plans at the PV ModuleTech USA event. More concretely, SEG Solar commissioned a 4 GW HJT module assembly plant in Texas during the summer of 2026 — a significant real-world milestone, not merely an announcement.
PV Tech has reported separately that heterojunction technology has found a new home in the US for both modules and solar cells, suggesting the momentum extends beyond a single manufacturer or facility.
HJT’s appeal in the US context likely reflects a combination of its efficiency characteristics — HJT cells generally achieve higher conversion efficiencies than standard PERC — and the incentive structures created by domestic manufacturing policies that reward higher-value, higher-efficiency products.
The Bigger Picture: Toward 100 GW of US Nameplate Capacity
PV Tech Research forecasts that nearly 20 GW of new module nameplate capacity will be added in the US between 2026 and 2027, bringing the total projected nameplate close to 100 GW by 2027. That figure represents a substantial manufacturing base for a country that, not long ago, produced only a small fraction of the solar modules it installed.
This trajectory matters beyond the solar industry itself. A larger, more diversified domestic manufacturing base reduces exposure to supply chain disruptions and trade policy shifts — risks that have repeatedly affected US solar deployment over the past decade.
What This Means for the US Solar Industry
The HJT growth story is not just a technology footnote. It signals that US manufacturers and investors are betting on premium, high-efficiency module technology rather than competing purely on cost with established overseas producers. Whether that strategy proves durable will depend on continued policy support, the ability to scale HJT manufacturing efficiently, and how quickly competing technologies close the efficiency gap.
PV Tech Research has published a five-part series examining the US PV supply chain in detail, including gaps that remain even as nameplate capacity approaches 100 GW. Announced capacity and commissioned capacity are not the same thing, and the distance between them is where execution risk lives.
Sources
- PV Tech / PV Tech Research. “PV Chart of the Week: HJT module production growing the fastest in the US.” Published 2026-09-11. https://www.pv-tech.org/pv-chart-of-the-week-hjt-module-production-growing-the-fastest-us/
Meta: HJT solar modules are the fastest-growing US manufacturing technology in 2026, with over 15 GW announced — here’s what the data shows and why it matters.
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