Silfab Solar® welcomes the opportunity for the new school to be built near its facility. When the company moved into the light industrial zone, schools were not allowed to be built in these zones. There was a decision by York County Council to rezone our area to allow a school to be built. Our other facilities are next to bodies of water and in the middle of urban areas. Our safety protocols have kept environments and the people around our facility safe.

Additional Documentation:

• School Parcel History
• January 9, 2023, York County Planning Commission initiates application to re-zone the property at 278 Gold Hill Road from LI to OI. Meeting Minutes
• March 20, 2023, York County Council approves rezoning from LI to OI (3rd Reading) Meeting Minutes

Silfab Solar® assembly processes will be contained to the inside of the building. We will have a way to release water vapor, like steam, from our cleaning process. This is not a smokestack, it is a wet process scrubber, that will be the same height as our building. Neighbors may occasionally see steam in the winter months due to cold weather. This system removes nearly 100% of all emissions leaving the vapor released far below South Carolina emission standards. The system will be 50 feet tall which matches the height of the building. It will not sit on top of the building. In early designs there were options to have the system on top of the building, but it will be on the side of the building after further consideration.

Silfab Solar® uses certain materials to assemble and clean products. The company has taken best in class steps to reduce any risk to our employees, their families and neighboring communities. Materials used during our assembly processes can all be found in household products. For instance hydrochloric acid is used for food processing i.e. soft drinks, cookies, ketchup and cereals. Hydroflouric acid is used in everyday pharmaceuticals and agriculture. Silane is used to develop smartphones, laptops and cars.

The Local Emergency Planning Committee, York County Office of Emergency Management, Flint Hill Fire Department and the EPA are a part of our planning to ensure that all parties are prepared for any type of unlikely event that may require a response.

Our facility is most comparable to manufacturing and assembly sites that produce textiles, furniture, electrical appliances and electronics, some of which is very well known in both York County and the state of South Carolina. These sites are light industrial. In December 2022, York County verified that are assembly process was approved for the light industrial zone.

As the U.S. seeks to increase the percentage of American-made components of solar modules, South Carolina is one of several states gearing up for domestic solar cell production in the country. Silfab Solar® has over 40 years of experience in the solar industry and since 2010 has been assembling solar panels in North America. A team of highly skilled solar engineers, technicians and scientists with experience in solar cell assembly have been hired to make the South Carolina facility possible. The company puts the health and safety of our employees and the community first. Silfab has taken precautions that exceed any of the requirements put forth by the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) and the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH). These agencies were formally DHEC, the health and environment authority here in South Carolina.

Silfab Solar® is excited to bring this process to the United States which will improve the country's energy independence by increasing locally produced energy generation equipment while eliminating the dependency on foreign countries to develop solar cells for the US solar market.