First Solar Breaks Ground on $680 Million, 3.3 GW Ohio Manufacturing Facility

First Solar, Inc. broke ground on its third manufacturing facility in Ohio at a ceremony that was attended by US Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, and US representatives Bob Latta (OH-05) and Marcy Kaptur (OH-09).

The new 3.3 gigawatt (GW)DC facility, which is scheduled to commence operations in the first half of 2023, represents a $680 million investment. When fully operational, the facility is expected to scale the company’s Northwest Ohio footprint to a total annual capacity of 6 GWDC, which is believed to make it the largest fully vertically integrated solar manufacturing complex outside China.

“First Solar’s new factory in Ohio is a model of President Biden’s vision for keeping America competitive by investing in clean energy and creating good jobs,” said Secretary Walsh. “Not only does this facility advance innovative manufacturing for a sustainable future, First Solar is also investing in its workers through skills training, competitive pay, and robust benefits. Empowering all of America’s workers is how we’ll build back a better economy and win the future.”

The facility is forecast to create more than 700 permanent jobs in addition to the over 1,600 people that First Solar currently employs in Ohio. Founded in 1999, First Solar has had a manufacturing presence in the state since it began commercial production at its original Perrysburg factory in 2002, when it produced 1.5 megawatts (MW)DC of modules and employed 150 people.

Since then, the company has invested over $2 billion in expanding its Ohio manufacturing presence, making the state home to the largest photovoltaic solar manufacturing footprint in the Western Hemisphere when it commissioned its second factory in 2019.

“Ohio is a proud home to another First Solar expansion as we offer a great business environment, workforce and the resources to build a domestic solar energy competitor in a market dominated by Chinese imports,” said Husted.

The facility will be one of the most advanced of its kind in the solar industry, allowing First Solar to produce an anticipated average of one module roughly every 2.75 seconds across its three-factory Ohio footprint once it achieves its full production capacity.

“Today, we’re leading the efforts to revitalize American solar manufacturing and secure critical clean energy supply chains because reliable access to competitive, efficient solar panels is essential to our country’s future. Solar panels are the next crude oil, and we cannot be beholden to adversarial nations for our supply,” said Forst Solar CEO Mark Widmar.