The US’s largest solar cell factory is now online in South Carolina

ES Foundry will become the largest producer of crystalline silicon solar cells in the US with the launch of its new factory in South Carolina.

The factory is expected to reach a shipment capacity of 3 gigawatts (GW) by Q3 2025, positioning ES Foundry to become a cornerstone of the domestic solar supply chain. Its more than 400,000-square-foot factory is on track to employ around 500 local workers by June 2025.

Alex Zhu, ES Foundry’s CEO, said, “The facility’s strategic location in Greenwood highlights ES Foundry’s dedication to supporting local communities, generating high-quality jobs, and driving regional economic development.”

The company announced in mid-January that it had secured its first multi-gigawatt, multi-year contract with a “top-tier solar module manufacturer.” ES Foundry’s domestically produced solar cells enable its partners to unlock additional Investment Tax Credit (ITC) benefits for domestic content – well, for now, anyway.

Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said, “This facility is an example of how we combine good policy with business innovation to deliver for American workers, support the local economy, and strengthen our nation’s energy security.”

According to the Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association, 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.

Electrek’s Take

ES Foundry’s solar cell factory will play a key role in helping South Carolina – a state that Donald Trump won handily in the presidential election – realize the cumulative $19 billion economic impact projected for the solar industry by 2035.

Yet, according to a Trump executive order issued on January 20, solar isn’t even defined as an “energy resource.”

South Carolina has hugely benefitted from Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. I’d tell you exactly how much IRA investment there’s been in the state, which is in the billions, but the Trump administration has now censored that information on its government website with a “403 – access denied.”

I’m curious to see whether South Carolina GOP legislators and solar industry executives can manage to talk their anti-IRA smack yet manage not to destroy the thousands of jobs and powerful renewables economy they created under Biden.

Read more: New York’s largest solar farm is a go with $950 million in funding

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