First Solar begins working on Perrysburg production line for new product

A massive investment is being made at a Wood county plant. First Solar is pumping $180 million into a new production line at its Perrysburg facility.

The company is launching a new solar panel, and the equipment that will be used to make it began arriving Wednesday. Steve Krum is the Director of Corporate Communications,"The equipment that started arriving today is called a Vapor Transport Deposition coater. It lays a thin layer of conductive film on glass. It is baked, and then a second layer of glass is put on top. Essentially it is a central piece of the technology that makes our panels what they are." The VDT coater will be 198 feet long, 34 feet wide and 17 feet tall at its highest point.

Wednesday's arrival is the first of ten trucks that will deliver the coater equipment. The new panels are called Series 6. From start to finish, the Series 6 production line is nearly a mile long.

The Series 6 panels are larger than the current series 4 panels, but the Series 4 panels will also continue to be made at the Perrysburg plant, "We've been operating the production line of Series 4 panels all along, but several months ago we stepped down one line down to clear the floor in order to start bringing in the new technology."

First Solar currently has about 800 employees in Perrysburg, this after about 400 people were laid off late last year. Company leaders say the current numbers could one day increase, "If the global market stays strong, and there is a desire for the Series 4 and 6 panels we could easily see an expansion."

The Series 6 will be used around the world in large-scale solar power plants, "From the very start we have gone through high and low points. We try to manage ourselves conservatively and not extend ourselves, so that is how we have stayed stable and healthy."

Wood county leaders say this investment will have a ripple effect.

Doris Herringshaw is a Wood County Commissioner,"This is the future of solar energy, First Solar is on the cutting edge. It is good for Wood county, good for the economy, and truly helps the quality of life in our region."

Krum says this investment signals a commitment to the place where it all began for first solar."We really believe it is important to stay here, and with our $180 million capital investment we think it's a clear signal we want to stay here."

The retooling work at First Solar will continue for the next few months.

Production is set to begin later this year, and panels will be for available for commercial sale early next year.