ES Foundry said it has expanded its solar cell production at its factory in Greenwood, which employs 400 people.
Reporter
Spencer Donovan covers Greenville for The Post and Courier. He’s an Atlanta native and graduate of the University of Georgia. You can find him on walks around town, eating at local restaurants and hiking in the mountains.
ES Foundry said it has expanded its solar cell production at its factory in Greenwood, which employs 400 people.
GREENWOOD — One of the few factories in the U.S. that makes solar cells — a critical component of solar panels — has expanded its production capacity here in the Upstate.
ES Foundry said it has expanded its Greenwood factory from 1 to 3 gigawatts annually, with the first solar cell coming off the new line in early July.
Solar cells are arranged into collections called panels, which are often mounted on rooftops or installed in fields. When light hits a solar cell, the electrons in that cell become excited and flow out as an electric current.
ES Foundry remains one of a handful of solar cell producers in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. China has dominated global solar manufacturing, despite recent headwinds from trade policy changes.
“This milestone is about execution,” said Alex Zhu, CEO of ES Foundry. “The U.S. solar market does not need more announcements — it needs operating capacity, proven production and domestic suppliers that can support customers now.”
The factory first opened in 2025 and has hired 400 employees about an hour south of Greenville.
The cells are designed to remain compliant with federal incentives designed to spur new domestic manufacturing and to prevent companies from certain countries from receiving tax breaks for renewable energy.
“Domestic solar cell manufacturing is not a future ambition — it is happening now in Greenwood, South Carolina,” Zhu said.
Reporter
Spencer Donovan covers Greenville for The Post and Courier. He’s an Atlanta native and graduate of the University of Georgia. You can find him on walks around town, eating at local restaurants and hiking in the mountains.
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