First Solar Information Review
First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) is one of the hottest solar stocks on the market today. Founded in 1999, First Solar manufactures thin film solar photovoltaic panels. At the company’s IPO in November 2006, stock prices were $20 per share. Current prices are around $167 per share. Michael Horowitz, a stock analyst with Pacific Growth Equities, recently upgraded the stock from “Neutral” to “Buy” citing "its scale, its well articulated and achievable cost cutting strategy, a tight polysilicon market, and its recent acquisition of DT Solar." First Solar acquired Turner Renewable Energy, formerly DT Solar in November 2007. It will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary, First Solar Electric, LLC.
First Solar’s FS Series PV Modules are intended for large-scale commercial installations. The company works with a variety of businesses that sell and install their PV modules.
Turner Renewable Energy has designed and deployed commercial solar projects for utilities and Fortune 500 companies in the U.S. since 2004. The vertical integration achieved by this acquisition will only benefit shareholders in the end.
The FS Series PV modules are made with CdTe (cadmium telluride), a polycrystalline compound formed from cadmium and tellurium. The use of CdTe has helped First Solar achieve the lowest manufacturing cost per watt in the industry in several ways. CdTe is cheaper than silicon, which is used in the majority of PV’s. Cadmium and tellurium, byproducts of zinc mining and copper refining, are transformed into a stable, inert semiconductor. Both are readily available in the U.S. CdTe also permits a simple device structure and process, resulting in lower manufacturing costs. The production process First Solar developed does not require a cleanroom environment or other expensive specialty equipment.
CdTe has also helped First Solar produce more efficient PV’s. In September 2007, their average module conversion efficiency was 10.5%. “The conversion efficiency of a PV cell is the proportion of sunlight energy that the cell converts to electrical energy. This is very important when discussing PV devices, because improving this efficiency is vital to making PV energy competitive with more traditional sources of energy (e.g., fossil fuels). Naturally, if one efficient solar panel can provide as much energy as two less-efficient panels, then the cost of that energy (not to mention the space required) will be reduced. For comparison, the earliest PV devices converted about 1%-2% of sunlight energy into electric energy. Today's PV devices convert 7%-17% of light energy into electric energy. “ Solar panels generally are less efficient as the temperature increases, but CdTe is less susceptible to temperature increases than silicon. It also absorbs low and diffuse light more efficiently, making it more useful in a real world environment.
First Solar is well prepared for growth. They have contracts in place for more than 3.4 gigawatts through 2012. They also have plans to increase their total manufacturing capacity from the current level of 277 megawatts to 910 megawatts by 2009. They have manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
The company also offers an innovative pre-funded PV recycling program, the first of its kind in the industry. Read more about it here
First Solar’s FS Series PV Modules are intended for large-scale commercial installations. The company works with a variety of businesses that sell and install their PV modules.
Turner Renewable Energy has designed and deployed commercial solar projects for utilities and Fortune 500 companies in the U.S. since 2004. The vertical integration achieved by this acquisition will only benefit shareholders in the end.
The FS Series PV modules are made with CdTe (cadmium telluride), a polycrystalline compound formed from cadmium and tellurium. The use of CdTe has helped First Solar achieve the lowest manufacturing cost per watt in the industry in several ways. CdTe is cheaper than silicon, which is used in the majority of PV’s. Cadmium and tellurium, byproducts of zinc mining and copper refining, are transformed into a stable, inert semiconductor. Both are readily available in the U.S. CdTe also permits a simple device structure and process, resulting in lower manufacturing costs. The production process First Solar developed does not require a cleanroom environment or other expensive specialty equipment.
CdTe has also helped First Solar produce more efficient PV’s. In September 2007, their average module conversion efficiency was 10.5%. “The conversion efficiency of a PV cell is the proportion of sunlight energy that the cell converts to electrical energy. This is very important when discussing PV devices, because improving this efficiency is vital to making PV energy competitive with more traditional sources of energy (e.g., fossil fuels). Naturally, if one efficient solar panel can provide as much energy as two less-efficient panels, then the cost of that energy (not to mention the space required) will be reduced. For comparison, the earliest PV devices converted about 1%-2% of sunlight energy into electric energy. Today's PV devices convert 7%-17% of light energy into electric energy. “ Solar panels generally are less efficient as the temperature increases, but CdTe is less susceptible to temperature increases than silicon. It also absorbs low and diffuse light more efficiently, making it more useful in a real world environment.
First Solar is well prepared for growth. They have contracts in place for more than 3.4 gigawatts through 2012. They also have plans to increase their total manufacturing capacity from the current level of 277 megawatts to 910 megawatts by 2009. They have manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
The company also offers an innovative pre-funded PV recycling program, the first of its kind in the industry. Read more about it here
Solar Installer Training in Colorado
Question submitted to Solar Power Authority on July 10th: Where in Colorado can you get training for PV and solar hot water, other than the place in Carbondale? Thanks. Question clarification to sender by Solar Power Authority: Thanks for your question! In order to help you find the best answer we wanted to clarify your question. It sounds like you are searching for places in Colorado where you can get training on how to install electric generating and water heating solar panels. Is that correct? Are you a do-it-yourselfer or are you actually looking to become a professional installer? Are there any...Headlines:
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