ES Foundry Collaborates with MIT's Initiative for New Manufacturing to Advance the Next Generation of U.S. Solar Manufacturing

Company commits $1.5 million, connecting its 3 GW U.S. solar cell operation with research, technology and workforce expertise

GREENWOOD, S.C., Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ES Foundry, an American company advancing U.S. solar by onshoring crystalline solar cell production, today announced it is joining the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM) and committing $1.5 million over three years to the initiative as part of a new collaboration focused on strengthening U.S. manufacturing.

This collaboration will accelerate ES Foundry's research into AI-driven efficiencies and advanced operating models in an effort to ensure U.S. manufacturing remains globally competitive.

For ES Foundry, the collaboration comes at an important point in the company's growth. In July, the company completed a 2 gigawatt (GW) expansion of its Greenwood, South Carolina factory, bringing total annual solar cell manufacturing capacity to 3 GW and supporting more than 400 advanced manufacturing jobs.

With that capacity now in place, ES Foundry is looking beyond manufacturing scale alone to the technologies, workforce and operating practices that will determine whether U.S. solar manufacturing can compete over the long term.

"We have made a significant investment in bringing solar cell manufacturing back to the United States. This commitment to MIT's Initiative for New Manufacturing is an investment in making that manufacturing stronger," said Alex Zhu, CEO of ES Foundry. "We are operating at commercial scale every day, which gives us a very practical view of where technology, automation and workforce development can make a difference. Working with MIT gives us an opportunity to research solutions to manufacturing challenges and develop new ideas and approaches."

Solar cells remain a critical gap in the domestic photovoltaic supply chain. While U.S. module manufacturing capacity has expanded significantly, much of the industry continues to depend on imported cells. ES Foundry was established to help change that equation by producing high-performance crystalline solar cells in the United States.

Its Greenwood facility produces bifacial PERC solar cells for utility-scale, commercial and community solar applications. The recently completed expansion gives ES Foundry a 3 GW operating platform where improvements in production technology, automation, process control, workforce skills and factory efficiency can be applied at commercial scale.

ES Foundry's $1.5 million commitment will support its engagement with INM and the initiative's broader work to address challenges facing modern manufacturers. Through INM, ES Foundry will work with MIT faculty, researchers and students as well as manufacturers from other industries on topics including artificial intelligence on the factory floor, automated systems, cybersecurity, digital twins, continuous innovation and workforce development.

The relationship is designed to work in both directions: ES Foundry can draw on new thinking coming out of MIT while bringing to the initiative the experience of a manufacturer actively operating and expanding a highly technical production process in the United States.

"Manufacturing challenges become very real when you are running a factory 24 hours a day," said Lionel Moss, General Manager of Operations at ES Foundry. "You are constantly looking at how to improve yield, productivity, equipment performance, processes and workforce capabilities. We have a lot to learn from the work happening at MIT, but we also have experiences from Greenwood that can contribute to that work. That exchange is what makes this collaboration valuable."

INM brings manufacturers from multiple industries together with MIT researchers, educators and students to tackle shared production challenges. Since launching in 2025, the initiative has expanded its work across manufacturing research, industry engagement, workforce development and entrepreneurship, with programs examining areas ranging from factory-floor AI and automation to cybersecurity, digital twins and new approaches to developing manufacturing talent.

"ES Foundry brings a valuable perspective to the Initiative for New Manufacturing," said John Hart, Class of 1922 Professor, Head of the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering, and faculty co-director of the Initiative for New Manufacturing. "We're excited to collaborate and we welcome ES Foundry to the INM community."

ES Foundry's involvement with INM builds on the company's broader effort to establish a durable domestic solar cell manufacturing base. Having production capacity in the United States is an important first step. ES Foundry's focus now is ensuring that U.S. solar cell manufacturing continues to improve, innovate and compete as the industry grows.

About ES Foundry
Based in South Carolina, ES Foundry is accelerating the U.S. solar industry by onshoring the manufacturing of crystalline solar cells. Its state-of-the-art Greenwood facility produces high-quality, bankable cells that meet the needs of U.S. panel manufacturers and the supply chain demands of developers and EPCs. Purpose-built for Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) compliance, ES Foundry operates with fully non-FEOC ownership, leadership and financing, ensuring transparent supply chains and verified eligibility for incentives, including the domestic content bonus. Backed by a team of seasoned industry veterans, ES Foundry delivers reliable, U.S.-made products that drive the growth and sustainability of clean energy. Follow ES Foundry on LinkedIn and Bluesky for the latest updates.

PR Contacts:
Leah Wilkinson
Wilkinson + Associates for ES Foundry
[email protected]
703-907-0010

SOURCE ES Foundry