First Solar Opens 3.5-GW Louisiana Factory

• First Solar flips the switch on a $1.1B Louisiana plant, powering 3.5 GW of Series 7 modules and supercharging America’s utility-scale, homegrown solar supply.

First Solar on Friday opened a $1.1 billion solar panel factory in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, dedicated to producing its Series 7 modules. The facility targets 3.5 gigawatts of annual nameplate capacity at full ramp-up, marking a major expansion of the company’s U.S. manufacturing footprint. The investment equates to about €955.6 million.

The new plant, located in south Louisiana’s Iberia Parish, is designed to scale output as it transitions to steady-state operations. First Solar said the Series 7 factory underscores its commitment to domestic module supply as demand grows for utility-scale solar, with capacity goals tied to achieving full operational ramp.

How will First Solar’s Louisiana Series 7 plant impact U.S. module supply?

• Adds up to 3.5 GW per year of new U.S.-made modules, meaningfully increasing domestic supply for utility-scale projects
  
• Reduces dependence on imports amid tariff, AD/CVD, and logistics uncertainty, stabilizing delivery schedules and pricing
  
• Expands availability of cadmium telluride thin-film, diversifying beyond polysilicon and easing exposure to crystalline-silicon cycles
  
• Improves developers’ ability to qualify for the IRA domestic content bonus, enhancing project economics and bankability
  
• Supports multi-year offtake contracts, giving EPCs and utilities greater visibility on volumes and specs
  
• Encourages upstream localization (glass, backsheet/encapsulant, junction boxes), strengthening the Gulf Coast solar manufacturing ecosystem
  
• Provides technology suited to hot, humid, high-irradiance regions, broadening viable project siting and performance profiles
• Increases competitive pressure on imported modules, potentially narrowing price spreads while raising quality and warranty standards
  
• Enhances supply-chain resilience during global disruptions by adding geographically diverse U.S. capacity
  
• Near-term impact moderated by ramp-up curves and existing backlogs, with more pronounced supply relief as the plant reaches steady state