ES Foundry Vs. Silfab: Where you build matters

South Carolina is home to two solar cell manufacturing facilities: Silfab Solar in Fort Mill and ES Foundry in Greenwood County.

Both manufacture solar cells. Both use hazardous chemicals. Both support domestic energy production and manufacturing jobs.

So why has one sparked widespread community concern while the other has not?

The answer comes down to one critical factor: location.

Same Industry. Very Different Setting.

ES Foundry operates in a Heavy Industrial zone with significant separation from neighborhoods, schools, and major population centers.

Silfab Solar is being developed in a Light Industrial zone surrounded by subdivisions, schools, businesses, and one of the busiest transportation corridors in York County.

This is not simply a debate about solar manufacturing. It is a debate about whether this type of operation belongs beside homes, schools, and thousands of families.

The Numbers Tell the Story

Within one mile of ES Foundry, approximately 160 people live nearby.

Within one mile of Silfab, more than 6,000 residents live nearby, roughly 38 times more people.

At five miles, the difference becomes even more striking:

• ES Foundry: approximately 14,800 residents

• Silfab Solar: approximately 137,000 residents

  
  

Silfab’s surrounding population density is nearly 38 times greater than ES Foundry’s location.

Schools Matter

ES Foundry has no schools within 1.5 miles.

Silfab Solar has four schools within 1.5 miles, including the Flint Hill schools located directly adjacent to the site.

That proximity changes everything when discussing hazardous chemical storage, emergency response, evacuation planning, and accidental release scenarios.

According to hazardous chemical modeling referenced in Phase 3 of an independent study conducted by the University of South Carolina, certain toxic release scenarios involving anhydrous ammonia could extend as far as 24,288 feet (4.6 miles) under specific conditions.

In a heavily populated suburban corridor like Fort Mill, a radius of that size encompasses neighborhoods, schools, parks, businesses, and major transportation routes. While such models represent hypothetical release scenarios rather than predicted outcomes, they illustrate why facility location and surrounding population density are critical considerations when evaluating potential risks.

Technology and Chemical Use

Not all solar manufacturing processes are identical.

ES Foundry uses PERC technology, a more established process with lower chemical demands.

Silfab plans to use newer TopCon and N-type Back Contact technologies, which require additional chemical processing steps, increased water consumption, and larger inventories of hazardous materials.

Available data indicates Silfab would store roughly 67% more of the five most hazardous chemicals than ES Foundry, despite being located in a far denser suburban environment.

Projected emissions are also substantially higher, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), while requiring significantly greater water usage.

These concerns become more significant when combined with the surrounding population density.

Traffic and Emergency Response Concerns

Traffic exposure tells a similar story.

Roads surrounding ES Foundry carry roughly 1,500 vehicles per day within one mile.

Near Silfab, traffic counts exceed 118,000 vehicles per day, nearly 79 times more traffic exposure.

During any emergency event, congestion complicates evacuation routes, slows emergency response times, and increases the number of people potentially exposed.

This Is About Responsible Siting

Community members are not opposing solar energy or manufacturing jobs.

The concern is whether a high-chemical industrial operation belongs in the middle of an already-developed suburban community.

Heavy industrial operations are typically placed in areas designed for them:

• Lower population density

• Larger industrial buffers

• Fewer nearby schools and residences

• Better emergency access and containment capabilities

  
  

That is exactly why zoning classifications exist.

The Community Deserves Better Answers

Residents have consistently asked reasonable questions:

• Why was this facility approved in a Light Industrial zone?

• Why were nearby schools and neighborhoods not given greater consideration?

• Why were safer industrial locations not pursued?

• What emergency planning protections will exist for surrounding communities?

  
  

These are not anti-business questions.

They are community safety questions.

Fort Mill families should not be forced to choose between economic growth and the safety of their neighborhoods, schools, and children.