First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA - which makes thin-film photovoltaic modules based on cadmium telluride (CdTe) as well as providing engineering, procurement & construction (EPC) services - have entered into a framework agreement for 231.6MWDC of its modules to be used by a subsidiary of Nashville-based full-service renewable energy provider Silicon Ranch Corp in projects to be constructed in 2017 and early 2018.
The new agreement builds on previous agreements for more than 180MWDC of modules used in Silicon Ranch projects entering commercial operations in 2015 and 2016, located in Colorado, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee. The southeastern US region is rapidly emerging as a growing market for PV solar development, where Silicon Ranch has played a leading role as a developer, owner and operator.
First Solar says that its thin-film PV technology has demonstrated clear advantages over conventional multi-crystalline silicon (mc-Si) solar products in all regions of the world, most significantly in the hot, humid climates that make up a large part of Silicon Ranch's project footprint. Taking into account conversion efficiency, temperature coefficient, spectral response and shadow tolerance, First Solar reckons that its technology provides an energy density of more than 10% over mc-Si products in this region. So, given the same land area with an equivalent module ground cover ratio, its modules can produce more annual energy from the same land area than mc-Si.
"There is deep value in aligning with a trusted, major solar developer, and our previous endeavors with Silicon Ranch have allowed us to jointly benefit from working in a region with exciting growth opportunities," says Roger Bredder, First Solar's VP of US business development.
"First Solar is a US manufacturer with superior products and a strong balance sheet, all of which were important factors in our selection," says Silicon Ranch's chief technology officer Pete Candelaria. "Furthermore, their technical and logistics units are the best in the business."
Similar to a portion of the 2015/2016 Silicon Ranch projects, some of the 2017 projects may also employ First Solar's balance of system solutions, including the firm's single-axis tracker. Silicon Ranch plans to begin to take delivery of the first modules under this agreement in first-quarter 2017 and will continue to supply its projects until first-quarter 2018.
