Materials science firm Corning reported a 37% year-on-year increase in solar segment sales to US$436 million in the third quarter of 2026, although production ramp-up continued at a slower pace than anticipated.
Sales were broadly unchanged from the previous quarter, when the segment generated US$438 million. The solar segment recorded a net loss of US$7 million in Q3, compared with a net loss of US$7 million in Q2 and net income of US$30 million in the same period last year.
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The company said improving productivity was expected to support higher production output and profitability as its manufacturing operations continued to ramp up.
Corning also said US trade action under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 on polysilicon imports was improving the pricing environment and demand for solar products manufactured in the US.
The company said it was making progress towards building a solar revenue stream exceeding US$3 billion but did not provide a specific timeline for achieving that target.
Corning’s Solar segment includes Hemlock Semiconductor Group and its solar wafer and module manufacturing businesses. The company did not disclose further details on production volumes or capacity utilisation in its third-quarter results.
Speaking to PV Tech Premium, Corning said its Michigan ingot and wafer facility gives the US a domestic source of solar wafers [subscription required], with co-located polysilicon production helping reduce supply-chain risks and exposure to trade disruptions.
In October 2025, the solar manufacturer acquired JA Solar’s module assembly plant in Phoenix, Arizona, with the facility becoming an asset of American Panel Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Corning. The company said the plant would manufacture solar modules for the US market.
