ES Foundry has increased its operational solar cell manufacturing capacity from 1 GW to 3 GW after commissioning a new 2 GW production line
The facility manufactures crystalline bifacial PERC solar cells and is designed to meet FEOC compliance requirements
The expansion comes as the US seeks to strengthen upstream solar manufacturing, where domestic solar cell production remains well below module manufacturing capacity
ES Foundry, the US solar cell manufacturer, has raised its operational solar cell manufacturing capacity to 3 GW with the commissioning of an additional 2 GW at its Greenwood, South Carolina manufacturing facility.
The company has announced rolling out the first solar cell off the new production line. It produces the ‘proven, bankable’ crystalline bifacial PERC solar cell technology at its manufacturing facility while the industry’s current workhorse TOPCon remains mired in intellectual property related challenges.
This is an expansion of the Greenwood factory that came online in January 2025 with 1 GW annual capacity (see Bifacial PERC Silicon Solar Cell Manufacturing Factory In US).
ES Foundry says the factory is ‘purpose-built’ for Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) compliance as it operates with fully non-FEOC ownership, leadership, and financing. The expansion will support domestic supply chains and help customers meet local content requirements under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
“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 GW expansion complete, our total capacity now at 3 GW 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,” said ES Foundry CEO Alex Zhu.
At the end of June 2026, the US had 70 GW of operational solar module production capacity, enough to cater to the annual demand since 2025 annual solar PV additions totaled 43.2 GW AC. However, production activity further upstream needs to catch up (see US Solar Deployments Dropped 14% YoY In 2025 With 43.2 GW DC Installed).
According to the SEIA and Wood Mackenzie, the country’s operational solar cell capacity at the end of H1 2026 was 3.2 GW, with 25 GW under construction (see SEIA: US Solar Installations Fall 27% YoY To 7.8 GW In Q1 2026). This includes Suniva, which operates a 1 GW solar cell production facility in Georgia and plans to add another 4.5 GW by Q2 2027 (see Suniva To Build New 4.5 GW Solar Cell Factory).
Recently, Qcells also launched cell production in Cartersville, Georgia, to reach full production in Q3 2026 when it will boast an estimated 3.3 GW of capacity each for ingots, wafers, and cells, along with 3.5 GW of module production (see Qcells Launches US Solar Cell Manufacturing At Georgia).
