First Solar Launches Western Hemisphere’s Largest Solar R&D Center

The 1.3 million square foot facility includes a state-of-the-art pilot production line capable of producing full-size prototypes of thin-film and tandem PV modules. Before the Jim Nolan Center was launched, First Solar used the production line at its Perrysburg facility for its late-stage product development activities.

This arrangement limited the flexibility of development efforts and created constraints when mission-critical tools had to be shut down. By addressing these constraints and limitations, the new facility is expected to accelerate innovation cycles.

“Thin films are the next technology battleground for the solar industry as they are key to commercializing tandem devices, which are expected to be the next revolution in photovoltaics,” said Mark Widmar, CEO of First Solar.

“While the United States leads the world in thin-film solar cells, China is racing to close the innovation gap. We expect this key investment in R&D infrastructure will help sustain our nation’s strategic advantage in thin-film solar cells, accelerating the innovation cycles needed to ensure the next breakthrough, transformative solar technology is made in America.”

The Jim Nolan Center is part of First Solar’s ​​roughly half-billion-dollar investment in R&D infrastructure. The company also expects to launch a perovskite development line at its Perrysburg, Ohio, campus in the second half of 2024.

The company, which has invested nearly $2 billion in research and development, operates labs in Santa Clara, California, and Perrysburg, Ohio, in the U.S., and Uppsala, Sweden. Notably, First Solar’s California Technology Center (CTC) in Santa Clara recently achieved 23.1% efficiency for a CdTe cell, a new world record confirmed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

The company’s ongoing and planned investments in R&D infrastructure are expected to create approximately 300 new jobs by 2025, the majority of which will be located at the Jim Nolan Center. First Solar’s ​​investments in U.S. manufacturing and R&D are considered to make it the single most important enabler of U.S. job creation among solar manufacturers.

According to a recent study conducted by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on behalf of First Solar, the company will create approximately 16,245 direct, indirect and induced jobs in 2023, translating into annual labor income of approximately $1.6 billion.