Abstract Weiss

First Solar began in 1999 as a high-tech startup with a disruptive, very low-cost thin-film solar technology that is ideally suited for utility-scale power plants in hot, sunny environments. Today, First Solar is multi-billion US-dollar company, with over 10GW of total installed capacity worldwide. In my talk I will give an overview of First Solar?s history, CdTe module technology, powerplant designs, and market segments. I will discuss utility-scale photovoltaic energy cost in comparison to conventional energy sources. CdTe has unique performance attributes which I will explain and compare to the case of multicrystalline silicon.