First Solar selling unused manufacturing plant in US

October 10, 2013
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Thin-film PV manufacture, First Solar, is selling its unused manufacturing plant in Mesa, Arizona, built at a cost of around US$300 million, for over US$100 million.

The plant was built at a time before chronic overcapacity forced PV module prices to fall and conventional crystalline silicon modules were more expensive than thin film. First Solar also built a plant in Vietnam that was never used.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The company said that the sale of the facility would be completed in the fourth quarter of 2013 with a loss against book value of between US$55 million and US$60 million.

A small section of the Mesa facility had been used to house its PV power plant monitoring and control operations. The ‘Network Operations Center’ employed approximately 80 people, which will be relocated to First Solar's headquarters in Tempe, Arizona. Annual operating expense reduction of around US$10 million is expected to be generated by the move, while cost of around US$5 million to US$10 million will be accounted for with the operational move, according to the company.

Other costs will include relocating unused manufacturing equipment currently stored at the facility to other warehouses. 

Read Next

October 27, 2025
Australian solar developer, BNRG Leeson, has submitted plans for a 440MW solar PV facility in Victoria's Campaspe Shire to Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
Premium
October 24, 2025
Marcel Suri explores the datasets that will help improve the accuracy of PV output estimation and drive better performance.
October 24, 2025
US solar tracker manufacturer Nextracker and Saudi-based energy company Abunayyan Holding have formed a joint venture (JV) in Saudi Arabia.
October 24, 2025
The Saudi state-owned renewables developer Masdar has begun construction on a giant solar-plus-storage project in Abu Dhabi.
October 23, 2025
The average price of a solar PPA signed in Europe in Q3 2025 fell below €35/MWh, reaching €34.25/MWh, according to LevelTen Energy.
October 23, 2025
Infrastructure investment firm Nuveen Infrastructure has secured US$171 million in financing for a 137MW solar PV plant in South Korea.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 10, 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Lisbon, Portugal