First Solar - Solar Panel Reviews

About First Solar

First Solar is a US-headquartered solar panel manufacturer that was founded in Arizona in 1999.

Contact Details

While the company had an Australian office for a while in Sydney, that doesn't appear to be operating any more; so here's the firm's global headquarters contact details.

Address: 350 West Washington Street, Suite 600, Tempe, Arizona 85288 USA
Telephone: +1 419-662-6899
Email: [email protected]
Website

Company Info

First Solar began manufacturing panels in 2002, focusing on thin film solar panel technology using cadmium telluride (CdTe). While the company's use of cadmium has been of concern in terms of disposal, First Solar has been taking responsibility for recycling its solar panels since 2005, and reclaims and reuses 90% of semiconductor material.

These days, the company has manufacturing locations in the USA, India, Malaysia and Vietnam and claims to have an annual manufacturing capacity of approximately 25GW.

First Solar established a formal Australian presence around 2010. While it appears the company is no longer maintaining an office in Sydney, the business and company name remained registered.

First Solar Panels In Australia

The company's current solar panels are the Series 6, none of which are Clean Energy Council approved for use in Australia.

Previously, First Solar modules that were approved for use here included the Series 3, which were available here in 70-Watt to 90-Watt capacities.

The company claimed the Series 3 would generate up to more 8% more energy than conventional crystalline silicon solar modules with the same power. These panels had a temperature coefficient -0.29%/°C, which was quite good for the time and First Solar said their superior spectral response resulted in a proven energy yield advantage in humid environments.

While relatively lightweight at 12 kg, these panels were quite large in terms of dimensions. The 90-watt model was 1200mm x 600mm. The size of thin-film panels is a reason they never really saw huge uptake in the home market as rooftop real estate is valuable.

Warranty Details 

Series 3 panels were accompanied by a 10-year product warranty and 25-year linear performance warranty. Depending on when yours were installed, they may be covered by one, the other or both. Contact your solar installer to determine warranty status, or if they are no longer around, try contacting First Solar headquarters with details of your panels to determine that information.

Thin-film panels aren't the best choice for most Australian residential PV installations. Learn more about selecting the best solar panels for your home.