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July
5, 2023
By Michelle
Lewis
The US’s largest solar panel maker just secured yet
another big order
![](images/images_07_06_2023/First-Solar-manufacturing%20copy.jpg)
First Solar, the largest solar panel
maker in the US, today announced that it will supply North American
wholesale power producer Capital Power with 1 gigawatt (GW) of
ultra-low carbon thin film solar modules.
Capital Power operates 7.5 GW of capacity across 29 facilities
in the US and Canada. It has a US solar pipeline of about 2.4 GW DC.
First Solar will make Series 6 Plus modules for Capital Power.
The up to 480-watt panels use the company’s thin-film cadmium
telluride technology and have up to 19% efficiency and a 30-year
warranty.
The Plus modules have a larger form factor, fewer connections
and less mounting hardware per watt, and an overall lower levelized
cost of energy. They’ll be delivered between 2026 and 2028.
For perspective, 1 GW of solar modules – over 3.1 million
modules – would be enough to power around 800,000 homes in the US.
First Solar, the US’s largest solar panel maker, is unique
among the world’s 10 largest solar manufacturers for being the only
US-headquartered company and the only manufacturer of thin film PV
modules.
The Tempe, Arizona-headquartered company uses cadmium telluride
(CdTe) PV technology. Its ongoing investment in developing CdTe since
1999 has made it the second most common PV technology in the world
after crystalline silicon. CdTe solar cells are known for their high
efficiency and low cost.
First Solar is investing about $1.3 billion to expand its US
manufacturing footprint from over 6.5 GW of annual nameplate capacity
to around 10.9 GW by 2026. In addition to the $1.1 billion expected
investment in a new 3.5 GW DC factory in Alabama, it’s also embarked
on a $185 million expansion of its existing factory in Ohio. It’s also
investing up to $370 million for an R&D innovation center in
Perrysburg, Ohio, which is expected to be finished next year.
First Solar executed 9.9 GW of contracts and recognized 1.9 GW
of volume sold in Q1 2023, resulting in a total backlog of 69.4 GW.
Read more: Detroit is going to power 100% of its municipal
buildings with solar
Photo: First Solar
Green Play Ammonia™, Yielder® NFuel Energy.
Spokane, Washington. 99212
www.exactrix.com
509 995 1879 cell, Pacific.
Nathan1@greenplayammonia.com
exactrix@exactrix.com
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