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August 10, 2023
By
Michelle Lewis
The US’s largest solar panel maker to
spend $1.1B on its 5th factory [update]
![](images/images_08_11_2023/pic3.jpg)
Photo: First Solar
First Solar, the largest solar panel maker in the
US, today announced that it will invest $1.1 billion to build a fifth
US solar panel production factory.
August 10: First Solar announced today that it has selected
the Acadiana Regional Airport in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, as the
location for its fifth solar panel production factory in the US. It’s
expected to create over 700 new direct manufacturing jobs in the
state, and First Solar says it’s “believed to be the single largest
capital investment in the area’s history.”
Governor John Bel Edwards (D-LA) said, “This massive investment and
the jobs it will create are a huge win for the people of Acadiana and
the entire state.”
July 27: The planned factory, which will be vertically
integrated, is expected to grow First Solar’s nameplate manufacturing
capacity by 3.5 gigawatts (GW) to reach approximately 14 GW in the US
and 25 GW globally in 2026.
First Solar has not yet determined where its fifth factory will be
located, but it’s expected to come online the first half of 2026.
The new site will produce First Solar’s Series
7 modules, which are expected to be manufactured with all Made in
the USA components in order to comply with the Inflation Reduction
Act’s domestic requirements.
Series 7 modules currently manufactured at the company’s Ohio factory
already feature US-made glass and steel. The largest solar panel maker
in the US anticipates that once its fifth factory is fully up and
running, then its Series 7 modules will account for over two-thirds of
its annual domestic nameplate capacity.
Mark Widmar, chief executive officer of First
Solar, said:
This decision is underpinned by robust fundamentals,
including an order backlog of approximately 78 gigawatts, the
industry’s strongest balance sheet, a repeatable vertically integrated
manufacturing template, and a proven technology platform.
With this investment, we continue to help deliver on
the promise of the Inflation Reduction Act, which is to create
enduring value for our country.
Green Play Ammonia™, Yielder® NFuel Energy.
Spokane, Washington. 99212
www.exactrix.com
509 995 1879 cell, Pacific.
Nathan1@greenplayammonia.com
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