First Solar, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, is the only US-headquartered company among the world's ten largest solar module manufacturers. The company designs and produces photovoltaic (PV) solar modules using Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) thin-film technology, with a fully integrated manufacturing process that can turn a sheet of glass into a functional solar panel in approximately four hours. Its manufacturing footprint spans Ohio, Alabama, and Louisiana in the United States, as well as facilities in India, Malaysia, and Vietnam - with expected global annual nameplate manufacturing capacity of over 21 GW by 2026.
First Solar's CdTe thin-film approach is technically distinct from the crystalline silicon panels that dominate the broader market. The technology uses 98 percent less semiconductor material than traditional crystalline silicon panels. The company reports leading the industry on sustainability metrics, including the lowest carbon footprint, lowest water usage, and fastest energy payback period of any PV technology currently available.
Engineering and manufacturing work at First Solar spans several technical domains, including semiconductor material optimisation, integrated production process development, and solar module performance and durability. The company's scale and vertical integration make it one of the more operationally complex environments in the solar manufacturing sector.
