Solar panel manufacturer Heliene has permanently laid off 93 employees at its Mountain Iron, Minnesota, solar panel assembly facility, effective Aug. 5, 2026. The jobs are primarily solar panel assembly positions, although some human resources positions were included in the notice. Heliene confirmed to Solar Power World that 182 positions are still active in Mountain Iron.
Heliene’s solar panel factory in Mountain Iron, Minnesota. Credit: Solar Power World
Heliene operates an 800-MW annual manufacturing capacity campus in Mountain Iron, spread across two buildings. The company’s original factory came online in 2018, while an addition opened in 2022.
The layoffs are “due to unforeseen business circumstances,” and employees will continue to be paid through Oct. 4, 2026. Heliene VP of HR Brianne Pringle stated that “the planned action is expected to be permanent, but the entire plant is not closing; the plant will remain open with a reduced workforce that is more aligned to current customer demand and business needs.”
Heliene, a Canadian company, first made solar panels for the U.S. market in the mid-2010s through OEM Silicon Energy. After Silicon Energy left the market, Heliene took over the factory in Mountain Iron and rebranded it as its own. The company has a strong focus on working with North American suppliers and producing panels with as much domestic content as possible.
Heliene sales employees have described the company to Solar Power World as a “manufacturer, not a warehouse.” The company produces panels that are ordered rather than warehousing megawatts of unsold product.
Heliene opened a second manufacturing site, a 500-MW solar panel assembly facility in Rogers, Minnesota, last year due to “continued demand for our high-quality, high-domestic content solar PV modules” and hired more than 220 new employees there. Solar Power World confirmed with Heliene that the Rogers facility is unaffected by the layoff notice.