First Solar is a solar panel manufacturer and distributor headquartered in the United States. The company offers a range of services, including solar panel installation and maintenance, as well as financing, construction, maintenance, and recycling. First Solar employs rigid thin-film modules for its solar panels and manufactures (CDTE) panels, which employ cadmium telluride as a semiconductor. The company was established in 1990 by inventor Harold McMaster under the name Solar Cells. In 1993, the Florida-based company was co-founded with J.D. Polk. The company was acquired by True North Partners, LLC in 1999, and it was subsequently renamed First Solar. In 2006, First Solar became a publicly traded company and is currently listed on the NASDAQ. Mark Widmar, who succeeded James Hughes as CEO on July 1, 2016, currently serves as the organization's CEO. Tempe, Arizona serves as the location of First Solar's headquarters. First Solar was the first solar panel manufacturing company to reduce manufacturing costs to $1 per watt in 2009.
First Solar was the second largest solar module manufacturer in the world as of 2010, and it was ranked sixth on Fast Company's list of the world's 50 most innovative companies. Forbes' list of the 25 fastest-growing technology companies in the United States in 2011 ranked it as the top company. It has been a component of the PV Global 30 index since the index's inception in 2009. Additionally, the organisation was the highest-ranked contractor in Solar Power World's 2012 and 2013 rankings.
