Sustainable Futures Through Forward-Thinking Action
First Solar strives to make a positive difference in the communities where we live, work, and do business. Together with various organizations, First Solar has developed and supports many initiatives in communities around the globe.
Group of students from College of the Desert receive hands-on training on installing First Solar modules.
Global Charitable Giving Program
First Solar strives to make a positive difference in the communities where we live, work, and do business. Together with various organizations, First Solar has developed and supported many initiatives in communities around the globe.
As part of our commitment to make solar more accessible on a global level, First Solar actively strives to give back to communities. We donate modules, expertise, training, and funds in support of non-profit organizations around the world.
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College of the Desert, California
In conjunction with the Desert Sunlight Solar Project in Riverside County, California, First Solar donated solar equipment, hands-on training and a curriculum to California’s College of the Desert and Palo Verde Community College, helping create the region’s first utility-scale solar training program. Our nearby 550 MW Desert Sunlight project will provide approximately 430 jobs during the 2 to 3 year construction period.
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Antelope Valley, California
First Solar is contributing to local education and nature preservation near its AV Solar Ranch One Project in Antelope Valley, California. First Solar donated $140,000 to the Antelope Valley College to establish the First Solar Endowment which provides 8 to 10 scholarships per year to local residents. First Solar supports the Poppy Reserve and Mojave Desert Interpretive Association in the preservation of California’s state flower, the California Poppy.
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National Park Trust
First Solar awarded a $48,000 grant to the National Park Trust to expand its nationally-recognized environmental education program to four schools in rural communities located near First Solar's utility-scale power plants in California and Nevada. The Buddy Bison youth education program will enable students to have hands-on experiences in nature conservation and help create the next generation of park stewards. In addition to organizing classroom and park visits, First Solar is providing supplemental educational resources to help students understand the importance of sustainability and solar energy.
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Toledo Zoo, Ohio
In support of the community partnerships that First Solar has established with Perrysburg, Ohio and its main manufacturing facility, First Solar generously donated solar modules and its solar expertise to the Toledo Zoo with a small PV installation and informational kiosk to educate visitors about solar energy and resource conservation.
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Sidim Hill Plantation Elementary School, Malaysia
First Solar Malaysia supports the local Sidim Hill Plantation Elementary School in Kulim with educational and financial support to enrich the educational environment for both students and teachers.
The company's contribution includes building a futsal court (indoor soccer on a small terrain) and supplying educational reference books, school uniforms for the underprivileged, motivational workshops for parents, and incentives for teachers providing after school classes.
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Village of Joy, South Africa
First Solar is partnering with Rays of Hope, a German non-profit organization, to help a children’s home in South Africa called Village of Joy. First Solar recently donated solar modules and funds to build a PV power plant at the Village of Joy. The PV power plant will be up and running by early 2013.
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Sir Ratan Tata Trust, India
First Solar and India’s oldest philanthropic organisations, The Sir Ratan Tata Trust, are collaborating on a pilot project to provide safe drinking water and irrigation to off-grid rural communities in India’s northern Uttarakhand state. The pilot project consists of two solar PV power plants which will be built in the Chureddhar and Chham (Gunogi) districts. First Solar donated 100 PV modules, which will operate with water pumps to move water from spring sources into storage tanks and provide the village with a safe and convenient water supply. The project will benefit 65 households with a population of 530 individuals in the two villages.
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Panels For Progress, Thailand
In Thailand, First Solar is partnering with Panels For Progress, a non-profit organization which installs community solar projects in developing countries. First Solar is donating a 15-25 kW PV system to a children's home in the Chiang Mai Province of Northern Thailand. The children’s home is operated by Not For Sale, an anti- human trafficking NGO, and serves as a safe house and vocational training center for homeless children. First Solar’s module donation will help provide reliable electricity, reduce costs and educate the community on sustainable green initiatives.
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Oasis Centre, Australia
First Solar donated modules for a 5kW rooftop installation on the Salvation Army’s Oasis Centre in central Sydney. The Oasis Centre is a hostel which provides accommodation, rehabilitation, and support to homeless and disadvantaged young people.
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An Exceptional Workplace
First Solar operates in a rapidly changing global environment. We recognize that in order for our company to succeed and grow, we must attract and retain the highest-quality workforce—talented, innovative, engaged, and satisfied associates committed to excellence and dedicated to fulfilling our corporate mission and values.
For more information please visit our careers page.
Core Values
- Safety First
- Environmental Responsibility
- People Matter
- Deep Customer Relationships
- Continuous Improvement
- Results Matter
Alliances
First Solar has teamed up with organizations around the world to support a variety of environmental initiatives, including:
As one of WWF’s Clean Energy Ambassadors, First Solar promotes a vision to achieve a 100% renewable energy mix. WWF’s The Energy Report presents a provocative scenario, set in 2050, of a world run entirely on renewable energy.
In January 2013, WWF, in cooperation with First Solar, launched its Solar PV Atlas report at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. The report Solar PV Atlas: Solar Power in Harmony with Nature addresses a commonly held belief that Solar PV uses a lot of land, and shows that in the countries included in the Atlas, PV needs less than 1% of land to meet 100% of the country’s electricity needs in 2050. This compares positively against conventional means of power generation. When developed responsibly, ground-mounted solar PV power plants provide considerable environmental benefits.
Fondation Nicolas Hulot pour la nature et l'homme
The Fondation recently published a comprehensive, 100-page update report on the status of solar photovoltaic (PV) power in the world, covering a large range of topics related to solar PV, from the different technologies on the market to their carbon footprint and other environmental benefits and impacts all the way to the integration of PV into electricity networks. First Solar supported this initiative.
Deutsche Umwelthilfe
First Solar and the German NGO DUH are working on a variety of activities, including the promotion of climate protection and the potential of photovoltaics (PV). One example is the “Climate Community Award” where First Solar rewards climate-friendly communities and promotes the adoption of best practices.
With First Solar’s support, in April 2012 DUH has launched a competition among local utilities on best practices in renewable energy.