PVTIME – US-based thin-film solar module manufacturer First Solar has announced plans to build a new 3.7GW manufacturing facility in the US. Production is set to begin by the end of next year, with capacity expansion continuing into the first half of 2027. While the location of the new plant remains undisclosed, the company has confirmed that final processing of Series 6 modules initially produced at its international sites will be completed in the US.
First Solar expects to invest around 300 million US dollars in the new factory, nearly 260 million of which will be allocated to capital expenditure. Mark Widmar, the company’s chief executive, noted that the investment would boost First Solar’s production capacity in the US market and align with the upcoming FEOC guidelines. He added that it would also improve gross profit margins by reducing tariff costs and logistics expenses associated with imported finished products. Widmar further explained that modules produced at the new facility would be eligible for domestic content benefits and qualify for manufacturing tax credits under Section 45X.
The decision to build the new US plant follows First Solar’s reduction in overseas production, a move driven by several factors: These include the dominance of Chinese PV modules in the European market, India’s refusal to accept products from Southeast Asia, widespread imbalances in the supply and demand for Southeast Asian goods, and tariffs on modules imported into the US. As announced earlier this year, the company reduced output at its factories in Vietnam and Malaysia in Q3 of 2025. When asked if the new US facility could offset the full 7GW annual nameplate capacity of these two international sites, Widmar said that First Solar would continue to evaluate opportunities to use its international front-end capacity to bring more products into the US. He stated that a final decision would be made once the outcome of the Section 232 proceedings and the expected FEOC guidelines were clear.
First Solar, a leading manufacturer of cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar panels, began commercial operations at its Louisiana factory in August 2025, just 19 months after construction started. The plant produces the company’s Series 7 modules and is projected to reach an annual capacity of 3.5GW once fully operational. With the Louisiana site entering commercial use in Q3 2025, First Solar’s total annual nameplate capacity across its facilities in the US, India, Vietnam, and Malaysia increased to 23.5GW. In addition to the Louisiana plant and the recently announced facility, First Solar operates manufacturing sites in Alabama and Ohio, with the Ohio location also housing the company’s research and development centre.
While continuing to produce Series 6 and Series 7 modules, First Solar is advancing its research into thin-film semiconductor technology with a particular focus on perovskite films. This includes the construction of a dedicated perovskite development line at its Ohio factory.
Widmar also stated that, in Q3 2025, First Solar expanded the protection of its TOPCon technology patent portfolio by filing three separate applications with the US Patent and Trademark Office. These applications seek to dismiss petitions from Canadian Solar, JinkoSolar and Mundra-affiliated entities that aim to invalidate First Solar’s US TOPCon patents.
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