Draft:T1 Energy
| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| NYSE: TE | |
| Industry | Solar energy, Manufacturing |
| Predecessor | Freyr Battery |
| Founded | 2024 (as T1 Energy) |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Key people | Daniel Barcelo (Chairman and CEO) |
| Products | Solar modules, solar cells |
| Website | t1energy |
T1 Energy Inc. is an American solar and battery manufacturing company headquartered in Austin, Texas. The company manufactures solar modules.[1]
History
[edit]T1 Energy was formerly known as Freyr Battery, a company originally based in Luxembourg that relocated its headquarters to Newnan, Georgia, in January 2024.[1] In November 2024, the company announced a strategic shift toward solar energy, and in December 2024 it completed a transaction to acquire a solar module manufacturing facility in Wilmer, Texas, from the Chinese manufacturer Trina Solar.[2][1]
The company rebranded as T1 Energy in February 2025, relocating its headquarters to Austin, Texas, and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol TE.[2][1]
Operations
[edit]T1 Energy operates a 5-gigawatt solar module assembly facility known as G1_Dallas. The company produced approximately 2.79 GW of solar modules in 2025.[3]
In December 2025, T1 Energy began construction on a solar cell facility in Rockdale, Texas, referred to as G2_Austin, with a first-phase planned capacity of 2.1 GW of TOPCon solar cells.[4] In August 2025, the company signed an agreement with Corning Inc. to source polysilicon and solar wafers produced at Corning's Michigan facilities.[5]
Relationship with Trina Solar and regulatory scrutiny
[edit]T1 Energy's solar module business originated with assets acquired from Trina Solar, a Changzhou-based Chinese manufacturer, and the two companies have retained ongoing financial and commercial ties. Following the December 2024 transaction, Trina remained a significant shareholder in T1.[2] According to SEC filings reported by the Washington Free Beacon, Trina held approximately 30.7 million shares as of May 2026, an 11 percent stake that made it T1's second-largest shareholder, and remained under contract through 2029 to provide advisory, manufacturing, training, and logistics support at T1's Texas plant in exchange for a commission on sales.[6] Trina was also T1's largest customer in 2025.[6]
These ties drew scrutiny in connection with U.S. clean-energy tax credits. Under "foreign entity of concern" (FEOC) provisions enacted in 2025, projects owned or controlled by Chinese companies can be denied eligibility for manufacturing tax credits.[2][6]
In May 2026, the short seller Fuzzy Panda Research published a report questioning T1's eligibility for the Inflation Reduction Act's Section 45X advanced manufacturing tax credit and its compliance with FEOC rules, alleging that the company's transfer of intellectual property to a Singapore-based entity masked continued ties to Trina. T1's stock fell as much as 13 percent following the report's release. The same day, Roth Capital Partners analyst Philip Shen published a note disputing the report's thesis and characterizing it as misleading, and the stock rose 26 percent the following day.[7]
In June 2026, the Washington Free Beacon reported that T1's continued relationship with Trina—which the U.S. Department of Defense had that month added to a list of Chinese military-affiliated companies—could jeopardize the company's eligibility for the tax credits.[6]
T1 has stated that it is building a domestic supply chain and has taken steps to distance itself from Trina, including the Singapore licensing arrangement and other measures it describes as FEOC-compliant; a company spokesman said Trina has no control over T1.[6][3]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "T1 Energy to establish $850M solar cell facility in Texas". Manufacturing Dive. 2025-03-20. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
- 1 2 3 4 Spector, Julian (2025-11-25). "T1 Energy is betting big on all-American solar, even under Trump". Canary Media. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
- 1 2 "T1 Energy produced 2.8GW solar modules in 2025, forecasts up to 4.2GW in 2026". PV Tech. 2026-04-02. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
- ↑ "T1 Energy Starts Construction on Texas Solar Cell Fab" (Press release). T1 Energy Inc. 2025-12-17. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
- ↑ "T1 Energy and Corning Deal Accelerates 'Made in America' Solar Momentum" (Press release). T1 Energy Inc. 2025-08-15. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Catenacci, Thomas (2026-06-18). "Texas Solar Company Seeks Valuable US Green Energy Tax Credits Despite Deep Ties to Powerful Chinese Solar Firm". Washington Free Beacon. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
- ↑ "'Buy the dip' on T1 Energy's Fuzzy Panda domestic doubt, Roth says". PV Magazine USA. 2026-05-22. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
External links
[edit]Category:Solar energy companies of the United States Category:Companies based in Austin, Texas Category:Manufacturing companies established in 2024 Category:Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange Category:American companies established in 2024