Every day in more than 45 countries, photovoltaic modules designed and manufactured by First Solar go to work converting sunlight into clean, reliable electricity. First Solar is the only American company ranked among the world’s top 10 solar manufacturers. The company’s headquarters is in Tempe, AZ, but its roots are in Ohio, where it operates the largest solar manufacturing footprint in the Western Hemisphere. More than half of First Solar’s 2,700 U.S. employees are located in Ohio.
What’s more, First Solar’s U.S. manufacturing footprint will soon be getting even bigger. In August 2021, the company begun construction of a new $680 million solar module assembly plant near its existing factory in Perrysburg, OH. That factory—the company’s third—is expected to come on line this year. And, in November 2022, First Solar announced that it will invest more than $1 billion to build a fourth assembly plant in Florence, AL. Expected to create more than 700 jobs, the factory is part of a previously announced plan to increase First Solar’s U.S. manufacturing capacity to more than 10 gigawatts by 2025.