First Solar Ohio manufacturing achieves top rating in RBA’s report

First Solar PV modules

First Solar announced that its 2.7 gigawatt (GW) DC manufacturing complex in Ohio has achieved Platinum status in a Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) Validated Assessment Program (VAP) audit.

Platinum is the highest possible rating awarded on completion of a full VAP audit, which is considered a leading standard for onsite compliance verification and effective, shareable social and environmental audits across industries.

The audit was conducted at First Solar’s manufacturing facilities in Perrysburg and Lake Township, Ohio, by third-party auditors specially trained in social and environmental auditing and the VAP audit protocol. It covered the full scope of the VAP, including fair labor practices and human rights, health and safety measures, environmental performance, business integrity, ethics, and supporting management systems. The rating is valid until May 5, 2024.

First Solar CEO Mark Widmar said: “The fact that we achieved Platinum status on our first try is a tribute to the passion and purpose of our people who exemplify First Solar’s commitment to Responsible Solar.”

First Solar joined the RBA, the world’s largest industry coalition dedicated to supporting the rights and well-being of workers and communities in the global supply chain, in 2021. The audit of its Ohio facilities was the first in a series of VAP audits that are expected to also include its other manufacturing facilities in Malaysia and Vietnam.

“The completion of this audit demonstrates that Responsible Solar is central to the way we operate. It impacts everything we do, from how we treat our people to the care with which we manage our supply chains,” said Mike Koralewski, chief manufacturing operations officer, First Solar.

First Solar is investing $680 million in building a third factory that will expand the complex by an annual capacity of 3.3 GW. The facility is expected to be commissioned in the first half of 2023 and when fully operational will scale the company’s Ohio footprint to a total annual capacity of 6 GW.

First Solar has invested over $2 billion in its US manufacturing footprint and, when its third factory is fully operational, will directly employ over 2,500 people in Ohio, while supporting an estimated 15,000 indirect jobs through its American supply chain.

First Solar also operates factories in Vietnam and Malaysia, and is building a 3.3 GW factory in India that is expected to be commissioned in the second half of 2023. The company anticipates that its nameplate manufacturing capacity will double to 16 GW in 2024. First Solar is the only US-headquartered company among the world’s ten largest solar manufacturers.