ES Foundry 3-GW cell factory

On Friday, Jan. 31, ES Foundry, an American company advancing U.S. solar by onshoring crystalline solar cell production, celebrated the grand opening of its cutting-edge manufacturing facility.

With the ribbon cutting at its more than 400,000-square-foot facility, which is on track to employ approximately 500 area residents by June 2025, ES Foundry is set to become the largest producer of high-quality crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) solar cells in the United States. The facility, which is expected to reach a shipment capacity of 3 GW by Q3 2025, positions ES Foundry as a cornerstone of the domestic solar supply chain.This state-of-the-art facility underscores ES Foundry’s leadership in U.S. solar manufacturing and plays a critical role in advancing the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)’s goal of 100 GW of renewable energy manufacturing capacity, including 50 GW of solar production by 2030.

ES Foundry’s new manufacturing facility represents a significant milestone for South Carolina’s economy and the state’s growing solar sector. According to the Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association (CCEBA), the solar industry’s economic impact in South Carolina is expected to increase nearly fourfold by 2035, with projections showing a rise in annual economic activity from $306.6 million in 2024 to almost $1.4 billion by 2035. This surge will support the creation of 3,315 permanent jobs, generating $260.9 million annually in labor income.