- First Solar (FSLR +6.8%) surges after unveiling the first functional Series 6 thin film photovoltaic module produced at the company’s Perrysburg, Ohio, facility and FY 2018 financial guidance.
- FSLR tells its Analyst Day event that it expects Series 6 will enter the commercial market with a power rating of 420-445 watts and conversion efficiency of more than 17%, provide more watts per lift than comparable crystalline silicon solar panels, and can be installed on virtually any ground-based PV mounting system.
- FSLR says it is expanding its production facility in Vietnam, essentially doubling production capacity of the initial site, which is still under construction; when fully operational, annualized production capacity in Vietnam will total 2.4 GW - when combined with Perrysburg and facilities in Malaysia, FSLR says its Series 6 manufacturing capacity will total ~5.4 GW by 2020.
- The company also announces two module supply agreements (I, II) totaling nearly 800 MW with D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments and Origis Energy USA.
- In its financial guidance, FSLR sees FY 2018 GAAP EPS of $1.25-$1.75 vs $1.22 analyst consensus estimate and revenues of $2.3B-$2.5B vs $2.39B consensus.
- Now read: First Solar: More Upside In 2018
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