Imperial Star Solar
Imperial Star Solar is an American solar manufacturer producing silicon wafers, PV cells, and PERC and TOPCon modules for utility-scale developers, EPCs, and commercial customers from its Texas facility and Southeast Asian affiliates.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersIrvine, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Imperial Star Solar does
Imperial Star Solar is an American solar manufacturer that produces photovoltaic modules, cells, and silicon wafers for utility-scale developers, EPCs, commercial and industrial customers, and select residential installers. The company operates a vertically integrated production chain spanning wafers to finished modules, with a 2 GW module assembly facility in Tomball, Texas that is scheduled to scale to 4 GW by Q4 2026, and affiliate wafer production in Saysettha, Vientiane, Laos (4 GW capacity) and module operations in Batam, Indonesia. Corporate headquarters are in Irvine, California, and the company was established in 2020 by leadership with a three-decade legacy in industrial shaft manufacturing and ten years as a Tier 1 OEM module manufacturer.
The company's product portfolio includes three primary module families — 182mm PERC, 210mm PERC, and 182mm TOPCon — delivering power outputs up to 670W and module efficiencies up to 22.6%, all backed by 30-year warranties. Technology differentiators include anti-PID cell technology and a configurable "Domestic Choice" product line that allows buyers to specify U.S. domestic content levels and BOM composition. Imperial Star also offers compliance tools (the DomesticIQ calculator and the FEOC Assurance Lab) that help developers qualify for the IRA's 10% domestic content bonus and verify Foreign Entity of Concern compliance, with modules exceeding 60% domestic content under IRS safe harbor.
Imperial Star Solar generates revenue primarily through transaction-based hardware sales of PV modules, wafers, and cells under multi-year project contracts. Its go-to-market motion combines direct enterprise field sales targeting developers and EPCs with event-driven demand generation at RE+, PV ModuleTech, PV CellTech, and Intersolar North America. The company maintains a partner network with strategic suppliers and OEMs including Suniva, CZT Energy, Hanwha Group, and Amphenol. Customer support, content marketing (blogs, webinars, social media), and an active public affairs posture around domestic manufacturing reinforce a sales-led, relationship-driven model aimed at capturing IRA-incentivized utility-scale demand.
Imperial Star Solar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Imperial Star Solar
- Legal name
- Imperial Star Solar
- Website
- https://imperialstar.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Imperial Star Solar is an American solar manufacturer producing silicon wafers, PV cells, and PERC and TOPCon modules for utility-scale developers, EPCs, and commercial customers from its Texas facility and Southeast Asian affiliates.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Imperial Star Solar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Solar Photovoltaic Modules & Cells Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (334419)
- SIC
- Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600), Electronic Components, Nec (3679)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Solar PV Module & Cell Manufacturing (Crystalline, Thin-Film) (EUAMAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Solar PV Module Manufacturing (Cells, Modules, Thin-Film) (EUAMABAD), Solar Plant Components Supply & Manufacturing (Modules, Cells, Wafers, Mirrors, Heliostats) (EUACAGAK), Solar Balance-of-System Components (Cables, Combiner Boxes, Switchgear, Transformers) (EUAMABAG)
Keywords
Where Imperial Star Solar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Irvine
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Imperial Star Solar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Solar Module Sales: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling PV modules including 182mm PERC, 210mm PERC, and TOPCon technologies. Products sold to utility-scale developers, EPCs, commercial/industrial customers, and residential markets. Revenue model is transaction-based with project-specific orders.
- Silicon Wafer Sales: High-quality silicon wafers sold to diverse solar cell technology routes, providing flexible market-leading solutions
- PV Cell Sales: Premium PV cells with high-efficiency monocrystalline technology sold as standalone products
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Standard PV Modules |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Domestic Choice Configurable Modules |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | DomesticIQ Calculator Tool |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Imperial Star Solar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Imperial Star Solar manufactures and sells photovoltaic (PV) modules, silicon PV cells, and silicon wafers produced primarily at its Tomball, Texas facility. Its module portfolio spans 182mm PERC (ATLAS), 210mm PERC (ORION), and 182mm TOPCon (Series3) product lines delivering up to 670W and 22.6% efficiency, with configurable domestic content options under the Domestic Choice brand. The company also offers the DomesticIQ compliance calculator and FEOC Assurance Lab documentation services to support customer eligibility for IRA tax credits.
Product overview
Imperial Star Solar is an American solar manufacturer offering a vertically integrated product portfolio spanning the entire PV value chain. The product lineup includes: Silicon PV Wafers (foundational upstream components with customization capability), Silicon PV Cells (high-efficiency monocrystalline cells with anti-PID technology), and PV Modules (featuring three distinct series: ATLAS 182MM PERC, ORION 210MM PERC, and Series3 182MM TOPCON, with power ranges from 380W to 670W and efficiencies up to 22.6%). The company also offers the Domestic Choice brand of configurable, American-made modules with full wafer-to-cell traceability. Supporting tools include the DomesticIQ Calculator for domestic content compliance assessment and the FEOC Assurance Lab for foreign entity compliance verification. All manufacturing is conducted at U.S. facilities in Texas, with global affiliate operations supporting the supply chain.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Domestic Choice: Flagship solar module line built in the U.S. with full wafer-to-cell traceability. Offers configurable domestic content, factory setups, and fast delivery for new commercial projects as well as repowering and replacing aging utility-scale installations.
- DomesticIQ
- FEOC Assurance Lab
Products and services
- ATLAS - 182MM PERC PV Module
Quantifiable outcome
- 22.6% efficiency achieved with TOPCon technology
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Imperial Star Solar
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Imperial Star Solar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Imperial Star Solar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SunivacoreStrategic sourcing contract to produce U.S. domestic content-eligible crystalline silicon PV modules. Suniva President and COO Matt Card delivered keynote at Imperial Star's grand opening. Partnership enables domestic content qualification for solar projects.
- CZT Energy USAcorePartnership agreement strengthening domestic solar manufacturing. Danny Dai from CZT Energy participated in roundtable discussion at grand opening. Partnership supports domestic content supply chain for PV modules.
- GivePowerminorPartnership to support solar water stations in Kenya. Imperial Star's contributions help fund GivePower's solar-powered water purification systems. 250 people now have 20 years of clean drinking water access. Partnership ties contributions to Imperial Star module sales.
- Hanwha GroupcoreHanwha Group representative Nicola Sicchieri participated in roundtable discussion at grand opening. Partnership supports US domestic PV module market development and supply chain collaboration.
- AmphenolcoreMark Farrelly from Amphenol participated in roundtable discussion. Amphenol provides module business perspective on industry dynamics and supply chain navigation.
- Indonesia Module AffiliatecoreIndonesia module affiliate facility in Batam, Kepulauan Riau supporting module manufacturing operations and global supply chain.
- Laos Wafer AffiliatecoreStrategic partnership with silicon wafer manufacturing affiliate in Saysettha, Vientiane, Laos. Facility occupies 1,076,000+ square feet with 4 GW production capacity for P-type and N-type wafers in M10 and G12 sizes. Supports AD/CVD compliance and traceability.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Imperial Star Solar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- JA Solar: JA Solar is a top-5 global module manufacturer with vertically integrated supply and TOPCon/PERC product portfolios. Competes with Imperial Star in commercial and utility-scale segments, particularly in emerging-market and European channels.
- Trina Solar: Trina Solar is a global TOPCon leader with vertically integrated wafer-cell-module operations similar to Imperial Star. Competes as a global incumbent with US distribution and growing US manufacturing footprint.
- JinkoSolar: JinkoSolar is one of the world's largest crystalline silicon module manufacturers with TOPCon leadership. While primarily Asian-sourced, it competes with Imperial Star on price-performance globally and increasingly in the US via partners.
Regional players
- Silfab Solar: Silfab Solar is a North American module manufacturer (Washington State and Toronto) focused on premium residential and commercial segments. Comparable as a domestically manufactured module producer, though primarily serving residential channels rather than utility-scale.
Direct peers
- Canadian Solar: Canadian Solar manufactures modules globally and is building US capacity in Texas and Indiana to capture IRA incentives. Competes with Imperial Star across utility-scale and C&I channels with crystalline silicon PERC/TOPCon technologies.
- Maxeon Solar Technologies: Maxeon is an overseas module manufacturer (IBC technology) with US manufacturing and FEOC-compliance positioning. Competes with Imperial Star for premium US residential and C&I buyers prioritizing domestic content.
- Suniva: Suniva is a US crystalline silicon module manufacturer with a Georgia facility. Imperial Star has an active strategic sourcing contract with Suniva, and both serve the domestic utility and C&I segments with FEOC-compliant products.
- Meyer Burger: Meyer Burger manufactures high-efficiency HJT and TOPCon modules at US facilities (Arizona/Colorado) targeting utility and C&I customers with domestic content. Directly comparable as a US module manufacturer focused on IRA-aligned buyers.
- Hanwha Qcells: Qcells operates a major US module manufacturing facility in Georgia and competes head-to-head with Imperial Star for utility-scale and C&I projects requiring domestic content. Both target IRA-eligible buyers with Tier 1 module portfolios.
- First Solar: First Solar is the leading US-headquartered utility-scale PV module manufacturer, producing thin-film panels at Ohio and Alabama facilities. Directly comparable as a domestic US module manufacturer benefiting from IRA domestic content premiums, competing for the same utility and C&I buyers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Imperial Star Solar social profiles
Digital presenceImperial Star Solar compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Imperial Star Solar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Imperial Star Solar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Imperial Star Solar subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Imperial Star Solar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Imperial Star Solar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Imperial Star Solar
What does Imperial Star Solar do?
Imperial Star Solar manufactures and sells photovoltaic (PV) modules, silicon PV cells, and silicon wafers produced primarily at its Tomball, Texas facility. Its module portfolio spans 182mm PERC (ATLAS), 210mm PERC (ORION), and 182mm TOPCon (Series3) product lines delivering up to 670W and 22.6% efficiency, with configurable domestic content options under the Domestic Choice brand. The company also offers the DomesticIQ compliance calculator and FEOC Assurance Lab documentation services to support customer eligibility for IRA tax credits.
Is Imperial Star Solar a public or private company?
Imperial Star Solar is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Imperial Star Solar founded?
Imperial Star Solar was founded in 2020. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Imperial Star Solar based?
Imperial Star Solar is headquartered in Irvine, United States, in the North America region.
How does Imperial Star Solar make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Solar Module Sales are the primary driver. The others are silicon Wafer Sales and PV Cell Sales.
Who are Imperial Star Solar's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are JA Solar, Trina Solar and JinkoSolar. Silfab Solar is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Canadian Solar, Maxeon Solar Technologies, Suniva, Meyer Burger, Hanwha Qcells and First Solar.
Does Imperial Star Solar have an API?
No public API is recorded for Imperial Star Solar.
What industry is Imperial Star Solar in?
Imperial Star Solar's product category is Solar Photovoltaic Modules & Cells Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMAHAA, Solar PV Module & Cell Manufacturing (Crystalline, Thin-Film), with a secondary code of EUAMABAD, Solar PV Module Manufacturing (Cells, Modules, Thin-Film). Its NAICS code is 334419 and its SIC code is 3600.