Sustainable Manufacturing

By embedding sustainability and community focus into every facet of our operations, QSM ensures that our growth contributes positively to the world’s transition to renewable energy.

Sustainable community focused Manufacturing

Environmental Sustainability​

Green production is at the heart of QSM’s approach.

We recognize that the way solar components are made matters for the planet just as much as deploying solar panels themselves. Therefore, QSM is committed to minimizing the environmental footprint of our operations from day one. This commitment is evident in our materials and energy choices: for example, our New Zealand polysilicon plant will use renewable electricity for energy-intensive silicon purification, dramatically cutting carbon emissions per kilogram of polysilicon produced. Industry-wide, solar manufacturing has often been powered by coal – indeed, as of 2022, coal-fired electricity made up over 60% of the power used in PV manufacturing, due to heavy production concentration in coal-rich regions of China. QSM’s geographically diversified strategy allows us to site production in cleaner grids and utilize green energy sources whenever possible. We aim to set new benchmarks for low-carbon solar wafer production.

Additionally, QSM emphasizes resource efficiency and circularity. By integrating the supply chain, we can reuse and recycle materials that would otherwise be wasted – for instance, collecting silicon kerf (sawdust) from wafer slicing and feeding it back into the production of new silicon, or re-purifying spent crucibles. We also prioritize reducing waste and emissions through best-in-class manufacturing processes and pollution controls. Our goal is not only to enable clean energy with our products but to ensure the process of making those products is itself clean and sustainable.

Social Responsibility & Community Focus

QSM strives to leave places better than we found them.

This means whenever we set up a facility, we actively invest in the local community. We create skilled, dignified jobs with competitive wages and opportunities for career growth, helping to revitalize manufacturing employment in regions that welcome us. Each wafer plant, for example, is expected to create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs. The new Zealand silicon manufacturing is expected to create upwards of 3,000 direct and indirect jobs. These are high-tech manufacturing roles – from technicians and engineers to support staff – that contribute to broader economic development. QSM partners with local educational institutions and training programs to develop the workforce needed, ensuring that nearby communities fully benefit from our operations in terms of skill-building and employment. We are also committed to safe and respectful workplaces. QSM’s corporate culture places a high value on employee well-being, diversity, and inclusion. We provide extensive safety training and maintain rigorous standards so that our factories are not just productive, but also healthy places to work. 

Our leadership firmly believes that treating people well is a prerequisite to success. We uphold international labor and human rights standards across our operations and supply chain.In the communities where we operate, QSM engages proactively with local stakeholders. We work with residents, indigenous groups, and local businesses to ensure our projects align with community needs and values. Whether it’s participating in community advisory councils, investing in local infrastructure improvements, or sponsoring environmental and educational initiatives, QSM seeks to be a good neighbor and an active contributor to society. This approach helps us build trust and long-term relationships, reinforcing the idea that clean energy industries can and should uplift the communities they touch.