First Solar first to US$1 per watt manufacturing cost

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Photon Consulting may have recently projected the PV industry to reach the US$1 per watt manufacturing cost threshold in 2012, but First Solar has ignored such projections and reached this important milestone in the 4Q08, with a cost per watt of US$0.98. First Solar, not wanting to sit back and wait for competitors to catch-up, expects further reductions in the coming years that could see a cost per watt below US$0.65 by 2012 or earlier.

“We’re capable of further significant cost reductions based on the yet untapped potential of our technology and manufacturing processes,” noted Mike Ahearn, First Solar Chief Executive Officer, in a conference call with financial analysts. “In fact, the long term financial models we have previously discussed suggest manufacturing cost targets of US$0.65 to US$0.70 a watt by 2012. We picked those as interim milestones…but we believe reductions below these levels are clearly possible beyond that timeframe.”

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The progressive fall in manufacturing costs of its CdTe thin-film modules was attributed to the company’s continuous focus on cost reductions as production scaled to significant megawatt levels in only a few years.

First Solar’s annual nominal production capacity will double in 2009 to a planned 1.1GW as manufacturing plants, specifically in Malaysia ramp to full production. Plants 3&4 in Malaysia are now ramping, with capital spending expected to be between US$270 and US$300 million, which is targeted at plants 3 and 4, and expansion at its existing plant in Perrysburg, Ohio. Each of the Malaysian plants or lines has a nominal capacity of approximately 190MW.

With over 1GW capacity, First Solar can leverage the cost of materials and productivity improvements to a much greater extent than in previous years, giving it the confidence that the cost per watt goals internally set could well be exceeded.

“I’d say that our ongoing improvement plans are really to continue to drive the efficiency that helps drive the costs down, drive the run rates of the factories, and then of course continuing to focus on the raw material costs as we purchase them,” commented Bruce Sohn, President of First Solar, in response to an analysts question in the conference call. “Continuing to scale facilities like our Malaysia operation helps significantly as we build out the line. And continuing to see the market develop certainly aids in our ability to drive down those costs, so we continue to stay focused on it. We think it’s a reasonable challenge for us to get there in this 2010 to 2012 timeframe,” noted Sohn.

However, First Solar didn’t just reach a company and industry milestone with the cost per watt but also achieved its highest stable conversion efficiencies in the 4Q08. According to the company, efficiency levels reach 10.8% in the quarter, further testament to First Solar’s continuous productivity improvement programmes during a period of rapid capacity expansion.

Read Next

June 26, 2025
A round-up of news from the US solar sector this week, including Akuo, Meta and RWE.
June 26, 2025
International researchers led by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have developed a new cooling technology that improves the power and longevity of solar cells.
June 26, 2025
A group of minority shareholders in Norwegian silicon firm REC Silicon has triggered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the closure of the company’s US polysilicon production site.
June 26, 2025
Researchers at the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) have claimed a record 26.4% conversion efficiency in a perovskite-organic tandem cell.
Premium
June 26, 2025
Carlos Rodriguez, Oktoviano Gandhi and Sun Huixuan examine the energy yield performance of different FPV system configurations.
June 26, 2025
Solar irradiation in Western Europe has increased by 50% above-average during Spring, according to an analysis by weather data and software provider Solargis.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
June 30, 2025
10am PST / 6pm BST
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico