First Solar changes course: now selling its thin-film solar panels into the distributed generation market

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First Solar, America’s largest solar module producer (and the only manufacturer to bring thin-film solar to gigawatt scale), has always been a specialist in big utility solar and assiduously avoided distributed generation.

That’s now changed.

With over 25 GW of its cadmium telluride solar panels installed around the world, First Solar has now made the decision to pursue the distributed generation market, according to a blog post from today.

The same series 6 modules the company sells in the utility-scale market, are now available to the distributed generation (DG) market in the U.S. through its distribution partners: Graybar, Kinect Solar, and WESCO Distribution.

According to the company, these distributors will offer First Solar’s series 6 modules “to projects and customers of all shapes and sizes, so that they can power communities and businesses across America.”

First Solar claims that its PV modules are the most sustainable in the industry. Series 6 modules have the lowest carbon footprint, water use, and pollution footprint of any Tier 1 PV module, according to the vendor.

In other recent First Solar news, the company announced it would now be running with two co-chief technology officers, with the appointment of Markus Gloeckler to that position. Gloeckler joins Raffi Garabedian, who has served in that role since 2012. The appointment will allow Gloeckler to overlook all things Series 6, while Garabedian will focus on cadmium telluride technology development. First Solar just posted a strong Q2 and sold off its O&M business to NovaSource. Toledo Solar, a cadmium telluride newcomer, is also going after residential and commercial markets.

Darin Green, senior director of business development at First Solar, tells pv magazine, “While First Solar has a long history in the utility-scale space, there have been a number of instances of our technology being used for distributed generation applications both in the U.S. and abroad. The goal here is to offer American-designed PV technology to projects and customers of all shapes and sizes across the U.S. In other words, if you want to power community solar, C&I projects, schools, and municipal or military installations with First Solar technology, it is now available through our distributor partners.”

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