Imperial Star Solar

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.

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

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

• Solar PV modules
• Monocrystalline silicon cells
• Utility-scale solar manufacturing
• Domestic content compliance
• TOPCon PERC modules

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Silicon Wafer Sales: High-quality silicon wafers sold to diverse solar cell technology routes, providing flexible market-leading solutions
3. PV Cell Sales: Premium PV cells with high-efficiency monocrystalline technology sold as standalone products

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SunivacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2024Strategic 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 USAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 September 2024Partnership 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.
• GivePowerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2024Partnership 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 GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2024Hanwha Group representative Nicola Sicchieri participated in roundtable discussion at grand opening. Partnership supports US domestic PV module market development and supply chain collaboration.
• AmphenolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2024Mark Farrelly from Amphenol participated in roundtable discussion. Amphenol provides module business perspective on industry dynamics and supply chain navigation.
• Indonesia Module AffiliatecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2024Indonesia module affiliate facility in Batam, Kepulauan Riau supporting module manufacturing operations and global supply chain.
• Laos Wafer AffiliatecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2024Strategic 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

Broad 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

• Xx.com/imperial__star
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ImperialStarSolar
• Facebookfacebook.com/imperial-star-solar-100094815355431
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imperial-star-solar-usa
• Instagraminstagram.com/imperialstar.solar

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Imperial Star Solar