Solarix

A Veteran-Led Dream Bringing America’s Energy Future to Virginia

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When you drive through the rolling hills of Central Virginia, it’s easy to see a region steeped in history and tradition.

But in Lynchburg, something new is stirring, something bold, ambitious, and profoundly American.

That something is Solarix, a disabled veteran-led advanced manufacturing company with a vision to reimagine how America produces and consumes energy. For founder and CEO Carlos Class, an Army Ranger and 82nd Airborne Paratrooper, Solarix is not simply a business venture. It is, in his words, “an American Dream brought to light.”

A Veteran’s Vision for Energy Independence
Class knows what it means to serve, to sacrifice, and to fight for something greater than oneself. Those same values now shape Solarix. “We are American First, Technology and Innovation driven,” he says. “Our mission is to bring back what belongs to this country, energy made by Americans, for Americans, right here in Virginia.”

At its core, Solarix is about independence: independence from foreign supply chains, independence from pollution-ridden energy systems, and independence for families and businesses who deserve clean, affordable, and reliable power. The company is building what it proudly calls a Made in Virginia, Made by Americans solution, modules manufactured without waste, without environmental hazards, and with the lowest cost of energy anywhere in the market.

This is energy not just as a product, but as a principle. “Access to clean, affordable, resilient energy should be a Human Right,” Class insists. “And it will be.”

Manufacturing First, Recycling as a Force Multiplier
The centerpiece of Solarix’s work is domestic manufacturing of advanced solar modules, with production scheduled to begin in March 2026. This manufacturing foundation is what anchors Solarix’s vision of energy security, economic growth, and community impact.

But Solarix is also pioneering a circular economy model that enhances this core mission. Inside its Forest, VA facility, the company is building America’s first fully automated 1GW solar module recycling plant—a complement to its production lines that ensures no panel is ever wasted.

This breakthrough technology can reclaim 99% of materials, copper, zinc, silver, polymers, glass, aluminum, and silicon, from old or unserviceable panels. By transforming yesterday’s waste into tomorrow’s raw material, Solarix is shielding U.S. manufacturers from volatile tariffs and pricing swings while empowering American technology companies with below-market inputs.

“There should never be a polysilicon-derived panel in a landfill,” Class says. “We’ve solved the multi-decade question.”

The recycling initiative doesn’t replace Solarix’s manufacturing, it strengthens it, making Virginia the home of a complete, circular ecosystem for clean energy.

LCOE: Who Really Pays?
When it comes to energy, one question matters most: who foots the bill? Traditional power sources like coal, gas, and nuclear will always depend on fuel markets, global conflicts, and unpredictable supply chains, costs that eventually land in the utility bills of families and businesses.

Solar is different. Once a panel is installed, the sun never sends a bill. That’s why solar consistently delivers the lowest Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), the true cost of electricity over time. With Solarix, that advantage goes even further. Our 99% recyclable modules mean valuable materials are reused again and again, lowering costs, strengthening domestic supply, and breaking free from waste.

The result is energy that is clean, affordable, resilient, and future-proof. For Virginians, that means not just powering homes and businesses today, but securing an energy system that protects generations to come.

Creating Careers, Not Just Jobs
The arrival of Solarix is already sparking excitement for the hundreds of jobs it will create. But Class pushes back on the word “jobs.” What Solarix is really creating, he says, are careers and futures.

Partnerships with local leaders like Legacy and Randy Dunton are designed to ensure young people in the region don’t have to leave home for temporary work across the country. “We want our youth to settle here, raise families here, and build lifelong careers here,” Class explains. “We are here to stay.”

And that call extends especially to Veterans. Solarix is a company founded by one, built on military values, and now opening its doors to those who have served. “Our veterans deserve a chance to continue leading,” Class says.

“At Solarix, they will.”

A University Partnership for the Future
One of the most significant developments in the Solarix story is its partnership with Liberty University’s School of Engineering. Faculty leaders Dr. Mark Hortsmeyer, Dr. Hector Medina, and Dr. Carl Pettiford have helped design a collaboration that gives students hands-on opportunities in advanced technologies and solar manufacturing.

“This is about more than just our factory,” Class emphasizes. “It’s about leaving this planet better for our youth than it was left for us.” Together with Liberty, Solarix is committed to create a pipeline of engineers, innovators, and entrepreneurs who will drive not only Virginia’s future, but America’s leadership in global clean energy.

From Virginia to the World
What began in Forest, Virginia is now a coalition with global reach. Clean, affordable, resilient, rapidly deployable, and scalable energy transcends borders, and that is why Solarix has joined forces with Goldi Solar, India’s fastest-growing energy-technology manufacturer (annual production capacity of 14GW). Under the leadership of Capt. Ishver Dholakiya and his team, Goldi brings deep expertise in scaling advanced, AI-enabled manufacturing that strengthens and accelerates our U.S. operations.

This partnership does more than enhance production. It opens doors for our students and junior leaders to learn from world-class innovators and bring that knowledge home to Virginia, through apprenticeships, joint projects, and hands-on exposure to global best practices. The result is a talent pipeline that keeps opportunity here, builds careers here, and grows our region’s leadership in advanced manufacturing.

From our base in Forest, our Made in Virginia products will also serve Europe, Central America, and South America, placing Virginia’s mark on the global energy stage. With Goldi’s support, we are proving that a company rooted in this community can help power communities around the world, without compromising on what matters most: affordability, resilience, and speed to deploy.

This is an international coalition born in Virginia, designed for global impact and local pride.

A Brighter Tomorrow
Stand outside Solarix’s new facility and you can almost feel the weight of possibility. Within these walls will emerge not just solar panels, but a new chapter in American manufacturing, one that honors veterans, empowers students, strengthens communities, and ensures that no panel ever ends up in a landfill.

The journey has been hard, but it is unmistakably American. For Class, the vision is clear: “This region will experience one of the greatest industrial breakthroughs in its history. And it will be powered by the sun.”

And so, as Virginia rises into the national spotlight of the clean-energy future, one truth cannot be ignored: The future of energy is here, and it begins with Solarix.

About Solarix
Solarix is a disabled veteran-led U.S. advanced manufacturing company headquartered in Forest, Virginia. With a mission to strengthen American energy dominance, Solarix is initially focused on producing domestic solar modules, with plans to expand into vertical integration of solar cells, battery storage, hydrogen energy and other renewable energy components. Production of Domestic Modules will commence March 2026. In parallel, Solarix will launch America’s first fully automated 1GW solar module recycling facility, capable of reclaiming 99% of materials to empower a new era of circular manufacturing.