First Solar Continues to Raise the Performance Bar : Greentech Media

First Solar Continues to Raise the Performance Bar : Greentech Media

• 2014 roadmap goal of 52 cents per watt at the panel level -- accomplished through efficiency gains and improvements in throughput
• 14% module efficiency in 2014
• Capex at 65 cents per watt factory capacity.
  
• It takes only 2.5 hours for the factory to go from glass to module
• 2012 production capacity will be 2 gigawatts
• Energy Payback Time (EPBT) is .65 .8 years (EPBT includes manufacturing and installation). Garabedian challenged the silicon guys to lower their silicon consumption to keep up with the First Solar EPBT.
• Q1 conversion efficiency was 11.1 percent, Q1 manufacturing cost was 81 cents per watt, Q1 revenue was $568 million