Grid Integration and Plant Control Systems

First Solar has developed the most advanced grid integration technology in the PV industry, providing PV plants that actively stabilize the electricity grid and operate more like traditional electricity generation plants. Advanced plant features of our grid integration systems include the ability to provide accurate energy forecasts, regulate voltage, curtail active power when necessary, limit the rate of change of power, prevent trips during faults and disturbances, and react to changes in grid frequency.

PV Modules

Our solar modules are the foundation to the world’s most advanced PV power plants. With a proven performance advantage over crystalline silicon technologies, First Solar’s world-record holding CdTe thin film solar modules deliver higher energy yields at elevated temperatures due to a lower temperature coefficient. Beyond temperatures of 25°C, First Solar modules produce more energy for the same nameplate watts and provide stronger plant performance in high temperature climates.

Learn more about our advanced thin film module technology »  Learn more about the benefits of CdTe technology »

Balance of Systems (BoS)

First Solar has made significant improvements to balance of system components to optimize the entire PV power plant and reduce lifecycle costs. Our proprietary data acquisition, plant control, and mounting systems are just a few examples of plant optimizing technologies that enable us to provide reliable and predictable solar energy, increased energy yields and system availabilities, faster construction velocities, and a lower Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE).

Operations & Maintenance

By leveraging our experience in plant optimization and maximizing energy output, we have developed the most advanced operations and maintenance program in the PV industry. With over 1.3 GWh of total energy generated from plants under operation to date , First Solar currently operates nearly 20 utility-scale PV power plants with a fleet availability of over 99%. Our advanced O&M offering program provides our customers higher energy output and system availability, industry leading PV forecasting, and is backed by a power plant availability guarantee.

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