First Solar has commissioned its Alabama factory with a 3.5 GW annual capacity
The $1.1 billion factory will produce the company’s Series 7 thin-film solar modules
Once fully ramped up, it will expand First Solar’s total domestic PV manufacturing capacity to almost 11 GW
America’s leading solar PV manufacturer has inaugurated its new Alabama factory, adding 3.5 GW capacity to its annual nameplate production capacity in the US. Once fully ramped up, it will expand the company’s total US manufacturing capacity to almost 11 GW. Together with its overseas factories, its total manufacturing capacity now exceeds 21 GW.
The Lawrence County-located 3.5 GW factory with fully integrated thin-film solar manufacturing capacity was built for a $1.1 billion investment, creating more than 800 energy technology manufacturing jobs, according to the company.
It will produce the company’s Series 7 modules using steel sourced locally from Alabama that is smelted, rolled, and fabricated within a 25-mile radius of the facility. It is located in Mallard Fox Industrial Park (see First Solar Picks Alabama For New US Module Fab).
“This is the first of two fully vertically integrated solar manufacturing facilities that solidify the role of the Gulf Coast states in enabling America’s all-of-the-above energy strategy,” said First Solar CEO Mark Widmar. “This energy technology manufacturing facility produces American solar panels, with American-made components sourced from a supply chain that spans the country.”
Apart from the Alabama factory, First Solar operates 3 manufacturing facilities in Ohio. It is also constructing a 3.5 GW factory in Louisiana, which is scheduled to be commissioned in H2 2025. By the end of 2026, it expects to have more than 14 GW of annual nameplate production capacity in the US, and 25 GW globally.
With its focus on local components in its manufacturing processes, First Solar is one of the significant beneficiaries of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which offers tax credits to projects using locally manufactured solar PV components.
At the end of June 2024, First Solar’s contracted backlog and net bookings totaled 75.9 GW, extending through 2030. It is sold out through 2027, but with the uncertainty regarding the outcome of the US Presidential Elections, the management has decided to be highly selective in its approach to new bookings in 2024 (see First Solar Reports $1.0 Billion Net Sales For Q2 2024; FY 2024 Guidance Unchanged).