Aug. 21, 2013: GE, First Solar Announce Solar Technology Partnership
Partnership Will Accelerate Thin-Film Solar Development
SCHENECTADY, N.Y., and TEMPE, Ariz. — GE and First Solar have announced a technology partnership to advance thin-film solar cells and modules. First Solar has acquired GE’s global cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar intellectual property portfolio, to further develop photovoltaic (PV) thin-film solar technology. GE received 1.75 million shares of First Solar common stock as part of this transaction. GE has agreed to retain the shares for at least three years.
The combination of the two companies’ complementary technologies and First Solar’s existing manufacturing capabilities are expected to accelerate the development of CdTe solar module performance and improve efficiency at manufacturing scale. In addition, GE Global Research and First Solar R&D will collaborate on future technology development to continue to advance CdTe solar technology.