New US solar cell manufacturer lands multi-year, multi-GW contract
From pv magazine USA
ES Foundry, a US-owned solar cell producer, has secured its first gigawatt-plus, multi-year contract with a top-tier solar module manufacturer.
The cell manufacturer started production this month at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in South Carolina and the customer will receive its first shipment in February, Alex Zhu, the founder and CEO of ES Foundry, told pv magazine USA.
ES Foundry said the partnership is with a top-tier module manufacturer that is “renowned for its innovation and market leadership.”
“Our first customer is proof of the demand for high-efficiency, American-made solar cells that deliver both top-tier performance and unmatched value,” said Ken Johnston, VP of sales for ES Foundry. “With our premium-quality, domestically manufactured solar cells, customers can unlock the domestic content ITC, simplify compliance with IRS Safe Harbor guidance and secure a reliable supply chain solution.”
ES Foundry is currently making crystalline bifacial passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar cells that it says qualify for the domestic content bonus. The initial annual capacity is 1 GW, ramping up to 3 GW by the third quarter of 2025. Zhu said the company plans for tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) and heterojunction (HJT) in future expansion.
Zhu said there are currently 100 people employed at the plant, with plans to scale up to 500 by the end of the year. He said the company’s investors include international private-equity firms with no Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) investment.
The pursuit of onshoring the US solar manufacturing supply chain has come with the challenge of imbalanced capacities of domestically made modules, cells, wafers and ingots. But according to the “US Solar Market Insight Q4 2024” report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie, the tide may be turning.
Since passage of the US Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, domestic solar module manufacturing has nearly quintupled, according to the SEIA. In 2022, the United States was producing less than 7 GW, which has grown to over 40 GW today. At current full capacity, the nation can produce enough solar modules to meet nearly all US demand, the report said. Demand is expected to be 40.5 GW (DC) in 2024, followed by average annual volumes of at least 43 GW (DC) from 2025 to 2029.
Cell manufacturing, however, has been slower to take hold due to the complex and costly process. According to the report, the first US cell manufacturing facility opened in the third quarter of 2024, the first since 2019. While several manufacturers have announced plans to produce cells, current production is negligible, as shown in the SEIA chart below.
“Onshoring cell production is crucial for establishing a resilient solar supply chain,” said Elissa Pierce, a solar supply chain analyst for Wood Mackenzie. “The US now has over 40 GW of module manufacturing capacity, but the vast majority of these modules are made with cells imported from Southeast Asia and other regions. A stable supply of US-made cells can mitigate the impact of tariff increases and other potential supply chain disruptions on the market.”
Customized/OEM/ODM Service
HomSolar Supports Lifepo4 battery pack customization/OEM/ODM service, welcome to contact us and tell us your needs.
HomSolar: Your One-stop LiFePO4 Battery Pack & ESS Solution Manufacturer
Our line of LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries offer a solution to demanding applications that require a lighter weight, longer life, and higher capacity battery. Features include advanced battery management systems (BMS), Bluetooth® communication and active intelligent monitoring.
Customised Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Casing
ABS plastic housing, aluminium housing, stainless steel housing and iron housing are available, and can also be designed and customised according to your needs.
HomSolar Smart BMS
Intelligent Battery Management System for HomSolar Energy Storage System. Bluetooth, temperature sensor, LCD display, CAN interface, UART interface also available.
Terminals & Plugs Can Be Customized
A wide range of terminals and plugs can be customised to suit the application needs of your battery products.
Well-designed Solutions for Energy Storage Systems
We will design the perfect energy storage system solution according to your needs, so that you can easily solve the specific industry applications of battery products.
About Our Battery Cells
Our energy storage system products use brand new grade A LiFePO4 cells with a battery lifespan of more than 4,000 charge/discharge cycles.
Applications in Different Industries
We supply customized & OEM battery pack, assemble cells with wiring, fuse and plastic cover, all the cell wires connected to PCB plug or built BMS.
Applications: E-bike, Electric Scooter, Golf Carts, RV, Electric Wheelchair, Electric Tools, Robot Cleaner, Robot Sweeper, Solar Energy Storage System, Emergency Light, Solar Power Light, Medical Equipment, UPS Backup Power Supply.
We can provide you with customized services. We have the ability to provide a vertical supply chain, from single cells to pack/module and to a complete power solution with BMS, etc.
HomSolar (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd
