ES Foundry achieves FEOC-compliant PERC production
ES Foundry has achieved a major milestone in its pursuit to increase U.S. solar manufacturing capacity by onshoring crystalline solar cell production. The company reached full-scale passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) solar cell production at its Greenwood, South Carolina, facility.
The achievement means that ES Foundry has established a proven and Foreign Entities of Concern (FEOC) compliant foundation for developers and asset owners seeking to meet the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) domestic-content requirements and reduce exposure to imported-supply-chain risk.
“In 2025, ES Foundry demonstrated that American solar cell manufacturing is both achievable and essential,” said Alex Zhu, CEO of ES Foundry. “By focusing on proven, scalable PERC technology, we’ve given U.S. developers and asset owners the ability to build with confidence and certainty. Our next phase will take that momentum further, closing the import gap and strengthening America’s energy independence.”
FEOC-compliant solar cells
SEIA’s most recent report underscores the strong national push to expand domestic solar manufacturing. ES Foundry reflects that ambition in action: we are one of the few manufacturers producing U.S. cells at commercial scale today, offering developers and asset owners a reliable, FEOC-compliant source as the broader domestic ecosystem builds out.
Built on field-proven PERC technology, ES Foundry’s production enables developers and panel manufacturers to secure domestic-content and FEOC compliance today — while other next-generation cell technologies remain tied up in global intellectual property disputes.
Throughout 2025, ES Foundry partnered directly with leading U.S. developers and asset owners to integrate its FEOC-free crystalline cells into commercial, community and utility-scale projects. By sourcing domestically produced cells, these companies strengthened their eligibility for the 10% IRA domestic-content bonus credit and reduced exposure to the supply-chain volatility and compliance risks associated with imported components.
Expansion coming in 2026
Looking ahead, ES Foundry is advancing plans for a 2 GW Phase II expansion at its Greenwood facility in 2026. The next phase will further enhance efficiency, consistency and output. Once complete, ES Foundry will rank among the largest producers of crystalline solar cells in North America.
“Every new gigawatt of capacity we bring online reinforces America’s clean-energy independence,” Zhu added. “ES Foundry’s role is to manufacture, not wait. While others pause for patents and litigation, we’re producing the cells and making the shipment.”
