ES Foundry completes 2 GW solar expansion in Greenwood

ES Foundry, an American company advancing U.S. solar by onshoring crystalline solar cell production, has completed a 2 gigawatt expansion in Greenwood, bringing the company’s total annual solar cell manufacturing capacity to 3 gigawatts.

The company says the milestone marks the start of production from ES Foundry’s expanded manufacturing platform.

“At a time when the market is crowded with future manufacturing announcements, ES Foundry is demonstrating execution — completing its expansion, producing advanced solar cells and scaling one of the most significant U.S. solar cell manufacturing operations in the country,” the company said in a statement.

The expansion comes at a pivotal moment for the U.S. solar industry. Domestic module manufacturing capacity has grown rapidly, but solar cells remain one of the most important constraints in building a fully resilient American solar manufacturing ecosystem, the company said in a news release. ES Foundry is directly addressing that gap and giving module manufacturers, developers, EPCs and asset owners access to high-quality U.S.-made solar cells from an operating domestic facility.

“This milestone is about execution,” CEO Alex Zhu said in the release. “The U.S. solar market does not need more announcements — it needs operating capacity, proven production and domestic suppliers that can support customers now. With our 2 gigawatt expansion complete, our total capacity now at 3 gigawatts and the first cell off the new line, ES Foundry is helping close one of the most critical gaps in the U.S. solar supply chain.”

ES Foundry’s Greenwood facility produces high-quality crystalline bifacial PERC solar cells, a proven, bankable technology designed to support a broad range of U.S. solar applications, from utility-scale projects to distributed-generation systems, the release stated. The company’s state-of-the-art manufacturing platform is designed to support high-volume production, rigorous quality standards and the documentation customers increasingly need as solar procurement becomes more focused on domestic content, FEOC compliance, supply chain transparency and long-term reliability.

Since launching operations in Greenwood County, the company has hired more than 400 people, creating high-quality advanced manufacturing jobs and supporting workforce development across the region. As production scales, ES Foundry says its investment is expected to continue generating opportunities for local workers, suppliers and the broader community.

“Greenwood has been an outstanding partner as we have grown,” said Lionel Moss, general manager of operations at ES Foundry. “This community has the workforce, infrastructure and commitment needed to support advanced manufacturing at scale. We have already hired more than 400 people, and this expansion allows us to continue bringing jobs, investment and long-term economic value to the region.”