Responsible Solar

First Solar is committed to respecting and protecting human rights, supporting fair labor practices and prohibiting forced labor, child labor, human trafficking and slavery across our supply chain. First Solar’s Labor and Human Rights policy establishes the following minimum requirements for all associates, officers, directors, contractors and business partners of the company:

1. Freely-chosen employment
2. Child labor prohibition
3. Humane treatment
4. Fair working hours, wages and benefits
5. Non-discrimination
6. Freedom of association
7. No retaliation
8. Access to an anonymous and confidential third-party operated Ethics Hotline
9. Internal mitigation

First Solar has long placed sustainability at the heart of its business, consistently demonstrating leadership driven by innovation and a desire to deliver better, responsible solar. As a result, our modules offers unparalleled eco-efficiencies, with the lowest carbon and water footprints, and fastest energy payback time of any solar technology available today. 

All PV Technologies Are Not Created Equal

Due to our resource-efficient manufacturing process, First Solar modules have a carbon footprint that is up to 2.5 times lower, a water footprint that is up to three times lower and an energy payback time that is up to two times faster than conventional crystalline silicon solar panels manufactured in locations with carbon intensive grids.

A report by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) concluded commercial and utility-scale PV systems using CdTe PV are the best available technology from an environmental and life cycle cost point of view.

Responsible Manufacturing

In addition to manufacturing PV modules with the lowest environmental impact in the industry, we are committed to reducing our operational impacts. All First Solar manufacturing sites are certified to globally recognized standards: ISO 14001 for Environmental Management, ISO 9001 for Quality Management, and ISO 45001 for Occupational Health and Safety.

Since 2009, we successfully reduced our greenhouse gas emissions, energy, water, waste, and carbon intensity per watt produced by implementing resource conservation and low carbon projects at our facilities and driving improvements in module efficiency, manufacturing throughput and capacity utilization.

In 2020, we joined RE100 and committed to powering our global operations with 100% renewable energy by 2028 with an interim goal of transitioning our facilities in the United States to carbon-free electricity by 2026.

EPEAT

We are proud that our Series 6 and Series 6 Plus modules are the world’s first PV products to be included in the EPEAT register for sustainable electronics. This globally recognized and independently verified ecolabel gives customers confidence that they are purchasing an environmentally leading product from a socially responsible company. Our annual EPEAT disclosure report is available online.

At First Solar, we believe that in order for solar energy solutions to be truly sustainable, they should be responsibly managed at end of life. First Solar has a long-standing leadership position in PV recycling with over a decade of experience in operating high-value PV recycling facilities on a global and industrial scale.

At First Solar, inclusion, diversity and belonging is more than a program or an initiative, it is a transformation. We recognize that diversity and inclusion (D&I) is a driving force in the success of our company and believe in creating an environment where different voices are encouraged, heard and valued including, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, military status, generation, abilities, perspectives, backgrounds and personalities.

Over the past year, we’ve increased the gender, racial and ethnic diversity of our Board of Directors. Today, each Board committee has at least one diverse representative. First Solar’s Board of Directors is 33% diverse, with 25% of seats occupied by women and 17% occupied by ethnic or racially diverse Directors. We are proud to be recognized as a “3+ company” by 50/50 Women on Boards for having at least three women serve on our Board. We have also added gender, racial and multicultural diversity into our Executive Leadership team. We are committed to including one or more qualified diverse candidate in each search process for new Board members and new members of the Executive Leadership Team. A diverse Board and Executive Leadership Team sets the tone from the top, helping the company drive diversity and inclusion throughout our organization.

We strive to hire outstanding, qualified talent globally to further our mission and proactively seek diverse candidates by listing job postings on diversity and veteran-focused recruitment sites. Every external candidate search includes diverse individuals in the selection pool. In addition, we monitor ethnicity and gender diversity on an annual basis through our Affirmative Action Policy (AAP) and reports, and take action as appropriate. We review pay on a regular cadence to check for internal and external equity including minimum wage and living wage assessments across our global operations.

We continue to establish global and regional diversity networks and affinity groups consistent with First Solar’s culture and philosophy such as the Global Women’s Network (GLOW), launched in 2019, and our Black and African American Network, launched in 2020. Sponsored by our CEO and supported by a quarterly Executive Advisory Group, these Networks aim to attract talent, develop future leaders through mentoring, sponsorship, networking, and a collaborative learning culture and enrich our dialogue across the business, forging external partnerships that bring new perspectives.

First Solar is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE), and we prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity

As part of our commitment to transparency, First Solar has been publicly reporting on the company’s sustainability performance for nearly a decade. We have received recognition of our sustainability disclosures from leading ESG rating agencies and indices.

In 2021, First Solar received an AA (leader) rating from MSCI ESG, Prime rating from ISS ESG, and Low risk rating from Sustainalytics.