First Solar is an American manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules and the largest solar manufacturer in the United States. It was founded in 1999,…
First Solar is an American manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules and the largest solar manufacturer in the United States. It was founded in 1999, building on thin film research carried out by Solar Cells Inc, and is distinctive because it does not use the crystalline silicon technology that dominates the rest of the industry.
Instead First Solar produces cadmium telluride thin film modules. The manufacturing process deposits a very thin semiconductor layer onto glass in a continuous line that turns a sheet of glass into a finished module in a matter of hours, without the separate wafer, cell and assembly steps that silicon requires. Cadmium telluride performs comparatively well in high temperatures and in humid or hazy conditions, which suits large utility scale projects in hot climates.
The company sells primarily to utility scale developers and independent power producers rather than to residential rooftop customers, and it has historically also developed and sold solar power plants. It operates recycling facilities that recover material from modules at end of life.
Manufacturing sites are located in Ohio, Alabama, Louisiana, Malaysia, Vietnam and India, alongside research and development centres in Ohio and California.
Roles include process and equipment engineering, manufacturing operations, materials science, reliability, supply chain and commercial functions.
As a verified employer on RefOpen, First Solar employees can refer prospective candidates for open engineering and manufacturing roles.
First Solar operates in solar manufacturing, is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, USA, employs around 5,001-10,000 people. 1 First Solar role has been posted on RefOpen in the last 30 days.
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