Solar Modules Escape Toxic-Substance Ban In EU Decision

Good news for First Solar - Ministers from the European Union (EU) have voted to exempt PV modules from European law that bans certain toxic substances in electrical goods, Reuters reports.

The toxic-substances ban applies to six specified hazardous substances, including the cadmium used in thin-film modules manufactured by First Solar and other companies.

"In order to attain the EU's ambitious targets for renewable energy and energy efficiency, photovoltaic panels to produce energy from solar light do not have to comply with the restriction," the ministers stated.


Source:  Reuters

First Solar, China Power Sign New Agreement

First Solar Inc. and China Power International New Energy Holding Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of China Power New Energy Development Co. Ltd., have signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement to collaborate on solar photovoltaic projects in China, the U.S. and other international markets.

Under the terms of the agreement, First Solar and China Power will initially explore collaboration on solar PV projects in China and identify project investment opportunities for China Power in the U.S. and other global solar markets.

The companies state that they will leverage China Power's role as a renewable energy developer in China, including China Power's planned 2 GW of solar in China by 2020, and First Solar's experience as a global solar PV technology company, including its 2.4 GW pipeline in North America.


Source:  Solar Industry

Which PV Manufacturers Are the Most EcoFriendly?

With rapidly increasing global module production volumes, managing the environmental footprint of PV module manufacturing has taken on great urgency. Solar energy's supporters and detractors alike readily acknowledge the potential environmental and public-health risks that manufacturing can pose.

Myths, misinformation and corporate opacity, however, often interfere with honest dialogue about the problem and investigation into possible solutions. In its newly released 2011 Solar Scorecard, nonprofit organization Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) brings concrete data points and rankings into the discussion.

The scorecard rates the world's major PV module manufacturing players on four "green manufacturing" criteria: product takeback and recycling, worker health and safety issues at PV facilities and in the supply chain, chemical use and lifecycle analysis, and company disclosure statements.

All scores are based on manufacturers' responses to a survey from SVTC. Although 40 firms were asked to participate, only 15 responded - perhaps a telling survey finding in itself when a primary emphasis is on transparency and accountability.

Overall, Germany-based crystalline PV module manufacturer SolarWorld took the No. 1 spot, with an overall score of 91 out of 100. The company received top marks for product takeback and recycling, as well as for supply chain and green jobs.

In its survey responses, SolarWorld garnered points for such environmentally friendly actions as sending its returned modules to a third-party recycling facility, prohibiting the export of end-of-life modules from developed countries to developing countries, and conducting audits to monitor its supply chain for environmental and health issues. The company also stated that its does not use prison labor for production or recycling.

SolarWorld lost several points in SVTC's chemical-use and lifecycle-analysis category for using lead in its products. The company was far from the only lead-user; SVTC found that only two of 15 respondents manufacture modules that are free of both lead and cadmium - two notoriously toxic materials closely associated with PV manufacturing.

More encouragingly, the report found that all five of the manufacturers that have undergone the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure passed the test. However, of the three manufacturers that took a comparable California test, one failed both of the test's portions, and the remaining two each failed one portion.

Behind SolarWorld, China-headquartered Trina Solar placed second in the manufacturer rankings, with a score of 89. The company was followed by Norway-based REC, Arizona-based First Solar and Colorado-based Abound Solar, which each earned a score of 87. SunPower (85 points), Solon (84), Sovello (83), Calyxo (82) and Yingli Solar (72) rounded out the top 10.

SVTC believes that based on the results of the scorecard, the industry still has time to establish a less toxic manufacturing and disposal footprint to complement PV's green electricity production. Based on the historical path of the electronics industry, however, that window of opportunity will soon be closing.

"The solar PV industry's rapid growth makes it critical to focus on industry innovation on reducing toxic materials use and on developing products that are easier and safer to recycle," the organization says. SVTC also called for the industry to build domestic recycling infrastructure that adheres to proximity principles.

The full Solar Scorecard, with sortable rankings and full survey responses from manufacturers, is available from SVTC here.

Ex-IM Bank - America's Answer to Chinese Financing To Boost Export of US Made Solar Products

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has approved two transactions financing solar energy exports to India at the production facilities of Infinia Corp. in Kennewick, Wash., and First Solar Inc. in Perrysburg, Ohio. According to the bank, these transactions will support more than 100 U.S. jobs.

Specifically, Ex-Im Bank has authorized a $30 million direct loan to the project sponsor, Dalmia Solar Power Ltd., on a limited-recourse project-finance basis. The loan will finance the sale of PowerDish, a modular solar electricity system, by Washington-based Infinia Corp. for a 10 MW solar thermal project in Rajastha, India.

The repayment of the loan is based on the cashflows generated by the sale of PowerDish-generated electricity to NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd. (NVVN), the power trading subsidiary of the India's National Thermal Power Corp. The Indian government has provided special power price incentives to NVVN to promote the development of 20,000 MW of installed solar power by 2022.

Ex-Im Bank also authorized a $19 million loan guarantee to PNC Bank in Pittsburgh, Pa., for a long-term fixed-rate loan supporting sales of thin-film solar modules by First Solar Inc. to a 15 MW solar power plant in the state of Gujarat, India.

The loan will be made to the project sponsor, ACME Solar Technology (Gujarat) Pvt. Ltd., on a limited-recourse project-finance basis. The repayment of the loan is based on the cashflows generated by the sale of electricity to the government of Gujarat's power utility company, Gujarat Urja Vikras Nigam Ltd.

SOURCE: Export-Import Bank of The United States

Views:    China has provided nearly $35 Billion in loan guarantees and loans to large Chinese solar manufacturers -- the US does it on a much smaller project by project scale.   The US is at war -- and puts its money into armaments to protect its oil interests.  The Chinese know that in the end economics will trump weapons because eventually wars end but business is forever - and invests in building its export businesses - seeing solar as the future.   What's  your opinion?

Chinese PV Cell Manufacturers Increased their Marketshare from 49% to 59% in 2010

Market research firm, Solarbuzz has reported its Top 10 rankings by cell capacity in 2010. Actually, there were 12 companies in the ranking due to several companies tying on capacity. Suntech Power and JA Solar tied for the first position, followed closely by First Solar.

On a geographical basis, there were four producers in the rankings that are headquartered in China, (Suntech (1), JA Solar (1), Trina Solar (9) and Canadian Solar (12)). Taiwan was also well represented with three firms in the rankings, (Motech (5), Gintech (6) and Neo Solar Power (11)).

Not surprising was the inclusion of two key producers headquartered in the U.S., First Solar and SunPower, ranked third and tenth, respectively.

Both Kyocera and Sharp were tied for seventh position and were the only two firms from Japan in the rankings.

Only one German manufacturer was included in the Solarbuzz rankings, Q-Cells at number 4. However, like SunPower the majority of cell production is in Asia.

According to Solarbuzz, worldwide solar cell production reached 20.5GW in 2010, up a massive amount from 2009 when production reached 9.86GW.

Thin film production accounted for 13.5% of total production, Solarbuzz said - down (as a percentage from 16.8% in 2009)

Producers in China and Taiwan continued to build market share, and accounted for 59% of global cell production in 2010, up from 49% in 2009.

Source:  PV Tech and Solar Buzz

First Solar Plans New PV Module Factory in Mesa, Arizona

First Solar Inc. plans to build its new U.S. manufacturing center in Mesa, Ariz., investing approximately $300 million in the factory and creating up to 600 jobs. The facility is approximately 30 minutes from First Solar's corporate headquarters in Tempe, Ariz.

The facility will include four manufacturing lines with a capacity to produce more than 250 MW of thin-film photovoltaic modules per year. The new factory, in combination with First Solar's recently expanded facility in Perrysburg, Ohio, will increase the company's U.S. production capacity to more than 500 MW per year, the company notes.

Construction will begin in the second quarter of this year and is expected to last a year, creating an average of 400 to 500 construction jobs. Module shipments are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2012.

The facility is located on a 135-acre site that was previously home to a General Motors vehicle testing facility and is designed to accommodate future expansion. The facility will include a 3 MW rooftop solar installation, as well as an extensive ground-mounted PV testing facility.

SOURCE: First Solar

DOE Issues Conditional Commitment of $967 Million for Solar Project in Arizona

The U.S. Department of Energy has made a conditional commitment of a loan guarantee worth up to $967 million for the 290MW (AC) Agua Caliente solar PV farm, located on 2400 acres of former agricultural land site east of Yuma, AZ. Preliminary construction on the site has begun, with the first electricity expected to be produced later this year or early 2012. The entire project is scheduled for completion in 2014.

NRG Energy announced in December that its solar subsidiary had reached an agreement with First Solar to buy the Agua Caliente project and planned to invest up to $800 million in equity, on thecondition of the approval of the DOE loan guarantee.

The power plant (equivalent to about 348MW [DC]) will be designed, built, and operated by First Solar and will be equipped with around 4 million of the company’s cadmium-telluride thin-film PV modules. Some 400 construction and other jobs will be created over the course of the project.

When completed, the project will be the largest utility-scale PV generation facility in the world, according to the companies and DOE.

Pacific Gas & Electric has already signed a 25-year power purchase agreement for the electricity generated by Agua Caliente, which will be carried by the existing Hassayampa-North Gila 500KV transmission line adjacent to the site.

For the first time on a utility-scale U.S. PV plant, fault ride-through and dynamic voltage regulation technologies will be used to help deal with voltage sag and swell and other power system disturbances, and maintain the reliability and stability of the grid transmission systems.

Although the announcement means the final award of the loan guarantee is likely, it is not a done deal.

NRG spokesman David Knox told PV-Tech via email that the “actual financial close” of the loan guarantee “is subject to customary condition precedents to any financing,” including “delivery of final documentation, completion of due diligence, receipt of final credit rating, and receipt of all final approvals related to the project and the loan.”

While it cannot predict the exact timeline, the company anticipates “a minimum of two months will be needed to fulfill” those precedents to achieve a closing of the loan agreement.

The size of the loan guarantee could also change, according to Knox.

“The amount is subject to DOE completing its due diligence and confirming the amount of costs that are eligible to be financed under the DOE Loan Guarantee program,” he explained. “Among other things, changes in cost and interest rate could affect the amount of the loan.”

The NRG spokesman also confirmed that the company will not raise any other financing at the project level, explaining that it “will rely on its existing cash on-hand and liquidity facilities to provide cash equity and letters of credit.”

At the project site, “switchyard site preparation and access road construction began in Q3 2010,” said First Solar spokesman Alan Bernheimer in an email to PV-Tech. “Construction will not ramp until the close of financing, which is expected in Q2 2011.”

Bernheimer, who noted that no permitting or other regulatory issues remain to be settled, said that the Agua Caliente project “is expected to synchronize with the power grid and start to sell initial power under its power sales contract with PG&E in late 2011 or early 2012.”

He stated that First Solar has not disclosed what type of inverters or other balance of systems gear will be deployed for the project, nor whether the company’s newly acquired RayTracker tracking systems will be used on the former White Wing Ranch site.

U.S. Solar Doubled in 2010, May Add 2 Gigawatts to Double Again

The amount of new solar energy capacity in the U.S. doubled last year and may double again in 2011 because of government incentives, stronger demand and falling prices, a trade group said.

The total capacity of photovoltaic and solar thermal power systems that were installed last year reached 956 megawatts, compared with 441 megawatts added in 2009, according to a report released today by the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Installed capacity of residential, commercial and utility- scale plants may increase by as much as 2 gigawatts this year, according to GTM Research, which worked with Washington-based SEIA to produce the report.

“Another doubling of U.S. installations in 2011 is likely, even in the absence of a substantial mid-year price decline,” Shayle Kann, GTM Research’s managing director of solar research, said in an interview.

In total, 878 megawatts of photovoltaic systems and 78 megawatts of solar thermal power projects were installed in 2010, according to the report. The cost was $6 billion, up 67 percent from 2009.

The cumulative total of 2.6 gigawatts of installed capacity can power more than 500,000 households, the report said.

Largest Market

First Solar Inc. (FSLR), the world’s largest maker of thin-film solar modules, expects the U.S. to be its largest market this year, and has 2,400 megawatts of North American projects in its development pipeline, Alan Bernheimer, a spokesman for the Tempe, Arizona-based company, said in an e-mail.

A U.S. Treasury grant program, which reimburses 30 percent of the costs of installing solar systems, helped drive up the number of projects, the report said. The installed price of photovoltaic systems fell by 10 percent for commercial and 8 percent for residential installations last year.

Other countries are cutting their subsidies for solar systems this year, potentially leading to an oversupply of panels and further price cuts.

“There is a strange effect where the worse things get in Germany and Italy, the more suppliers are going to price more competitively in new markets, like the U.S., ultimately growing the market,” Kann said.

California had 259 megawatts of photovoltaic capacity installed in 2010, more than all other states. New Jersey followed with 137 megawatts, more than doubling from 57 megawatts in 2009 and the highest growth rate.

SEIA represents about 1,000 companies involved in the solar energy industry, including installers, manufacturers, developers, financial companies and others, SEIA’s assistant manager of communications Jared Blanton said in an e-mail.

Source:   Bloomberg

Solar Project of the Year – Sempra Generation’s Copper Mountain Solar Facility

The nominations have been reviewed; the editors votes are in and we are now pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards for Project of the Year. This year's Projects of the Year Award winners represented facilities that signified excellence in 5 technologies: Solar, Wind, Biomass, Geothermal and Hydro.

Editors from the Renewable Energy World network, which includes five print magazines and four websites, selected the winners from among the five finalists in each technology category. “So many cutting-edge projects are announced, funded, constructed and finalized each year, it’s great to take time out and actually recognize the best ones for the way in which they advance the industry,” said one network editor.

To be eligible for an award, a project needs to have been completed in 2010, be in North America and make a significant impact on the entire renewable energy industry. When judging the finalists, network editors considered the innovative technology that was employed as well as the projects’ impact on the industry at large and on the communities in which they were installed.

The award winners were announced and recognized at the Renewable Energy World North America Conference and Expo, in Tampa, Florida. 

Solar Project of the Year

When the 48-megawatt (MW) Copper Mountain Solar facility, located in Boulder City, Nev., about 40 miles southeast of Las Vegas went online in December 2010, it became the largest utility-scale PV power plant in the U.S. Construction of the project took less than 1 year and at peak, 350 construction jobs were created.

Engineering, procurement and construction contractor First Solar of Tempe, Ariz., supplied the 775,000 solar panels that were installed on the 380-acre site. During construction, 103,000 steel posts (which hold the brackets that hold the panels) were installed using lasers and GPS technology to ensure the rows of panels (some ~2.5 miles long) were straight.

Power from the project is sold to Pacific Gas & Electric in Northern California under a 20-year contract. California utilities are required to get 33% of their power supply from alternative sources like wind and solar by 2020.

“Safely completing construction on a solar power facility of this magnitude in less than a year is an unprecedented achievement,” said William R. Engelbrecht, Sempra Generation’s vice president of planning and construction in a press release. Engelbrecht accepted the award on behalf of the companies involved.

“This is a massive project, and Sempra Generation’s construction team, working with First Solar, did an outstanding job of meeting our aggressive goal to build the entire project by the end of the year,” he said.

Source:   Renewable Energy World.com

First Solar buys RayTracker, adds single-axis tracker, balance-of-systems technology

First Solar has acquired Idealab operating company RayTracker, a photovoltaic panel tracking technology and balance-of-systems firm based in Pasadena, CA. RayTracker's team will join First Solar's engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) group, and the acquired company’s customers will be transitioned to its new parent.

The new additions will bring expertise in solar technology innovation, reliability engineering, advanced PV system modeling, software engineering, product development, and high-volume manufacturing to the company, according to First Solar.

The RayTracker suite of technology includes GC-Series single-axis trackers, PV-Platform Software Toolset for system design and operation, wireless infrastructure, and other PV balance-of-system innovations.

Originally a product group of fellow Idealab company and concentrator PV developer Energy Innovations, RayTracker spun out as a separate entity in March 2009. The BOS firm experienced solid growth in 2010, saying it had tripled quarter-over-quarter revenue in successive quarters in the first half of the year.  

First Solar spokesman Alan Bernheimer told PV-Tech via email that the deal is indeed closed and that no terms have been disclosed. The nine employees of RayTracker will remain in Pasadena.

“Tracker technology is one of a number of initiatives under development in our systems group as part of our broader effort to enable lower LCOE [levelized cost of energy] pricing capability and further differentiate our solution in the market,” he explained. “Customers are increasingly interested in trackers for their potential to optimize energy yield and reduce the LCOE.

He also said that First Solar is “field testing the tracker technology,” although there are “no results to report.”

“We are not announcing any new products at this time,” he added. “First Solar is still evaluating the effectiveness of tracking and other advanced systems technologies and will announce product offerings through a customer release process when appropriate to do so.”

RayTracker stated in July that it would be increasing its outsourced manufacturing capacity to 25MW per month and that it had more than 1.5GW in its “pipeline of quoted projects.”

REC Solar, Martifer Solar, and groSolar have been cited as RayTracker customers that had used the newly acquired company’s equipment in their 2010 projects.

Although he could not provide any further information on the current manufacturing status of RayTracker's product line or First Solar’s strategy for tracker production, Bernheimer did say that the company “will continue to honor the contractual commitments of RayTracker. Other order requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.”

Source:  PV Tech

First Solar (FSLR) Supplying 15 MW in Solar Modules to ACME of India

First Solar (FSLR) announced earlier today that ACME of India will purchase 15MW in thin film solar modules for a solar plant in the state of Gujarat.  First Solar sees India as a potentially large solar market.  Delivery is expected in March 2011.

First Solar VP TK Kallenbach commented: “We see India as a land of immense opportunity and potential. We are pleased to collaborate with a leader like ACME to contribute to the country through the development of clean, affordable, sustainable solar electricity utilising our advanced, thin film technology and unparalleled experience in large-scale solar PV systems.”

Source:  First Solar

First Solar Falls from #1 to #3 in 3rd Quarter 2010

First Solar (FSLR) falters in Q3, aims for 2011 recovery, says IMS Research

US thin film PV producer First Solar (FSLR) continued to lose ground in Q3 2010, according to the latest analysis from IMS Research. Having been the largest producer of PV cells for 6 consecutive quarters, an increase of just 2% means that it will move to be the third largest in the third quarter.

Chinese rivals Suntech and JA Solar will both overtake First Solar, having increased their production capacities rapidly as demand has spiraled in 2010.

Despite losing share of the PV module market throughout 2010, largely due to limited increases in its production capacity, IMS Research predicts that weaker demand and increased pricing pressure in 2011 will leave First Solar positioned to regain some share as it brings new capacity on-line.

“IMS Research projects that after more than doubling in 2010, PV installations will grow by less than 10% in 2011,” commented PV research analyst, Sam Wilkinson. “We forecast that PV module prices will decline by over 15% in the first half of 2011 as demand weakens in key European markets following reductions in feed-in tariffs (FIT),” continued Wilkinson, “First Solar’s industry leading margins and significant pipeline of utility-scale systems in North America will stand it in good stead as the market becomes more competitive in 2011.”

Although its position in the PV module market continues to decline for the moment, the world’s largest producer of thin film technology recently reported that revenues had increased 36% over the previous quarter to reach record levels upon the completion of its 80 MW PV plant, the world’s largest, in Ontario, Canada. The supplier’s gross margin also remained highly competitive, although declining by a small amount due to a fall in module prices and increased costs.

source:  IMS Research - IMS Research provides market research and consultancy services on a wide range of global electronics markets. http://www.pvmarketresearch.com.

First Solar Announces Plans to Build Two New Plants

First Solar is planning to build two new four-line manufacturing plants that will boost the company’s annual manufacturing capacity by nearly 500 MW to help meet strong demand for its advanced thin-film photovoltaic modules.


The plants are expected to be built in the United States and Vietnam and completed in 2012. Each new plant will create approximately 600 green jobs and will be designed to accommodate additional production capacity. Negotiations and site assessments are ongoing in both countries and will be finalized and announced at a later date.


The new factories will further extend First Solar’s previously announced capacity additions, including eight lines at its Kulim, Malaysia facility, four lines in Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany, and two lines in Blanquefort, France. Earlier this year the company also completed an expansion of its Perrysburg, Ohio, manufacturing plant, which serves as First Solar’s primary hub for engineering, research and development, and employs more than 1,100 of First Solar’s 1,500+ U.S.-based associates. The new plants announced today, combined with these previously announced expansions, will nearly double production capacity from 1.4 GW in 2010 to more than 2.7 GW in 2012.


“These expansions provide proximity to growing U.S. demand while supporting our roadmap to drive down the cost of clean, sustainable solar electricity,” said First Solar CEO Rob Gillette. “Effective government policies provide long-term visibility and enable sustainable markets.”


In addition to the increase in manufacturing employment, First Solar expects to generate over 1,000 construction jobs through the installation of solar power plants from the company’s 2.2 GW North American project pipeline.


Souirce:  Solarbuzz

World's biggest solar project powers up in Canada

The world's largest solar energy facility, the 80-megawatt Sarnia photovoltaic project in Ontario, is now fully operational and is supplying energy to the Canadian province's power grid, its owner and operator said on Monday.

The project, located in southern Ontario, is expected to make enough energy from sunlight to power 12,800 homes, its owner Enbridge Inc ENB.TO and operator First Solar Inc  said in a statement.

"Completing the world's largest PV (photovoltaic) power plant demonstrates the migration of solar PV toward utility scale," said Frank De Rosa, senior vice-president of North American project development at First Solar, the world's biggest solar company by market value.

Enbridge, Canada's biggest oil pipeline operator, will sell the power from the Sarnia facility to the Ontario Power Authority under a 20-year power purchase agreement. The agreement was awarded under the provincial government's Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program.

In addition to its standard offer program, Ontario last year unveiled a green energy feed-in tariff (FIT), which offers rich incentives to renewable energy developers to set up shop in the province. The FIT program has lured a number of big-name companies including South Korea's Samsung, C&T and Germany's Siemens AG.

Enbridge, which has been much in the news recently because of pipeline leaks in the United States, has invested C$2 billion in green energy assets in recent years and now also has interests in seven wind farms and a geothermal project, among others.

It bought the 20 MW Sarnia project from First Solar last year in an agreement in which First Solar remained as the project's operator. The two companies then expanded the project's capacity by 60 MW.

First Solar's de Rosa said U.S.-based company expects to install 145 MW of solar power in North America this year, including this project. The Sarnia facility was built using First Solar's thin film solar panels.

Editors Note:   Sarnia is also where the first commercial oil wells in North America were located.

Source:   Reuters News Service

First Solar Complete NextLight Acquisition

First Solar Inc. has completed the acquisition of NextLight Renewable Power LLC, a solar development firm formed by the inaugural fund of private equity firm Energy Capital Partners.

With the NextLight acquisition, First Solar now has power purchase agreements for 2.2 GW of utility-scale solar projects in North America. According to the company, the transaction represents another strategic step in First Solar's expansion in the U.S. utility-scale power market, which began in 2007 with the acquisition of Turner Renewable Energy and continued with the acquisitions of solar project pipelines from OptiSolar in 2009 and Edison Mission Group in 2010.

NextLight’s team of project developers and other staff have joined First Solar. The first project developed by NextLight that is expected to start construction by First Solar is the 290 MW Agua Caliente Solar Project in Yuma County, Ariz. The California Public Utilities Commission on June 3 approved the project's power purchase agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and the appeal period expired without challenge on July 7. Construction is expected to start this year.

SOURCE: First Solar

Who is Bruce Sohn? Answer: President of First Solar

Bruce Sohn joined First Solar in March 2007 as President. Mr. Sohn was formerly a senior executive at Intel Corporation and has served on First Solar’s Board of Directors since 2003. During his 24 years at Intel, Mr. Sohn played a leadership role in developing and manufacturing leading-edge semiconductor technology. He served as an integral part of the start-up team at five Fabs, was program manager for Intel’s conversion to 300mm wafers and managed Intel’s two largest Fabs.

Mr. Sohn is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is a certified Jonah and has been a guest lecturer at several universities including MIT and Stanford. As First Solar’s President, Mr. Sohn is responsible for technology development, manufacturing, expansion, quality, sales, EHS, supply chain, MIS and worldwide human resources.

In today's SolarPV.TV report from the Solar Future Conference organised by Solarplaza in Munich we present an interview with Bruce Sohn, President at First Solar who speaks about the company's roadmap by 2013 and beyond.

Specifically, Bruce Sohn talks about First Solar's plans to remain in the forefront of the solar industry in terms of production, sales and cost leadership - specifically, First Solar's  mission to reduce module production cost to $0.65 to $0.70/Wp in the next 4 to 5 years.

Source:  Solar Plaza      To view the video interview - click here.

First Solar to Acquire NextLight to expand Utility Systems Group

First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) today announced it has formed a utility systems business group to address the large-scale photovoltaic (PV) system solutions market. Jens Meyerhoff, 45, has been named president of the group. Mr. Meyerhoff has served as First Solar's chief financial officer since 2006.

"With the pending completion of First Solar's acquisition of NextLight, this part of our global business represents the next leg of growth for our industry and First Solar," said Rob Gillette, First Solar CEO. "Jens brings significant financial, operations and market expertise to the utility systems business in order to provide our customers with a full PV system solution to their renewable energy needs. He will ensure an integrated, portfolio-based approach to project economics--from site selection and project development through to transmission access, power purchase agreement and project asset sale."

First Solar will have power purchase agreements for 2.2 gigawatts of utility-scale solar projects in North America when the NextLight acquisition closes, which is expected in the current quarter. In the near term, the systems business supports utility customers' achievement of renewable generation requirements at the lowest cost and shortest lead time to generation, while continuing to drive solar PV economics to levels comparable with fossil-fuel generation, enabling broader adoption of solar PV technology. To date, First Solar has built or has under construction 189 megawatts of utility systems projects in North America.

Source:  First Solar

First Solar to Double German PV Manufacturing Capacity

First Solar Inc. plans to expand its German manufacturing plant in Frankfurt an der Oder - doubling local production capacity and creating several hundred new jobs.

The company, which already employs more than 600 associates in Frankfurt to manufacture its thin-film solar modules, says it is in advanced talks with the German regional and federal authorities to obtain the necessary regulatory permits and financial framework for the expansion.

The expansion would be the first major foreign direct investment in the German green technology sector this year, according to First Solar. It would double the annual capacity of the manufacturing plant to around 446 MW by the fourth quarter of 2011 from 223 MW. The expansion also helps the company increase its natural income hedge against euro/dollar exchange rate risk by producing more in Germany for European customer demand, First Solar adds.

SOURCE: First Solar

First Solar Has Record 1st Quarter 2010

Arizona-based thin-film manufacturer First Solar continues to defy sales expectations and industry standards in a global recession that’s toppled many of the world’s PV leaders.

In the first three months of 2010, First Solar wracked up more than $568 million in sales, a whopping 36 percent increase over the same period last year, according to the company’s most recent earnings report.

While those results represent a slight decrease from the last quarter of 2009, the company continues to accomplish impressive growth. The First Solar Board of Directors has even approved an additional four line manufacturing plant with an annual capacity of more than 220 MW, expected to be up and running by the fourth quarter of 2011.

How has First Solar managed to accomplish such impressive growth in a year that’s shuttered competitors? What’s the company’s secret to becoming one of the world’s largest solar manufacturers?

President Bruce Sohn is one of a dozen industry experts slated to speak at Solarplaza’s 12th executive conference June 8 in Munich. The conference will explore “The Solar Future” in a single-day event, packed with information and insight from an all-star panel of industry leaders like Sohn and other innovators.

“First Solar changed the global PV business landscape, still dominated by crystalline technology, to become the world’s largest manufacturer with thin-film technology in less than a decade,” said Edwin Koot, CEO of Solarplaza, organizer of the conference. “Bruce Sohn is a true industry leader which many solar players can learn from.”

Sohn, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, first joined First Solar in March 2007, after leaving a 24-year career at Intel Corp. where he played a major role in the company’s strategic growth. Sohn was on the start-up team for five of the company’s Fabs and managed two of Intel’s largest Fabs.

Sohn’s insight into the global PV path will shed light on where the market is headed and where industry players should aim to be positioned in the coming years. Will First Solar develop Gigawatt power plants in China or elsewhere? Who will be their largest PV consumers? Where is the next big market?

The strategy conference “The Solar Future”, focusing on how the PV industry and market will look in 2013, will take place in Munich on June 8 at the Sheraton Munich Arabellapark. 

Source:  SolarPlaza

First Solar - Top PV Manufacturer in 2009

Thin-film solar module manufacturer, First Solar topped the rankings list for PV module suppliers in 2009, surpassing all of its crystalline rivals to ship more than a gigawatt (GW) of modules and become the industry's largest supplier, according to the latest analysis from IMS Research.

Although, the top ten suppliers that feature in IMS Research's rankings did not change in 2009, the previous year’s leader, Suntech, fell to second place, followed once again by Sharp in third. No other supplier came even close to the growth that  First Solar saw in 2009 in terms of megawatts, but Trina Solar climbed two places, increasing its annual shipments by nearly 90%.

Source:  Renewable Energy World   Read the full article here.