The Phoenix Sun

First Solar power plant

It’s always gratifying when independent online news sites scoop the Big Boys of the MSM.

It’s especially pleasing when it’s your site that did the scooping. So, while we are proud of our story early yesterday on First Solar’s plan to build the world’s largest solar power plant in China, today we want to do what independent news services should be able to do best — provide our readers with more in-depth reporting than is available elsewhere.

We’ve put together a complete package of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between First Solar and China, including the detailed information First Solar filed with the SEC (click on the report cover below to open the pdf file). .. continue reading ..

When German officials ceremoniously placed the 560,000th solar panel onto its frame at the Lieberose solar power plant on August 20, the crowd applauded for several reasons. The most obvious reason to celebrate was the fact that by adding that single panel, the 53 MW Lieberose had become the second largest solar power plant in the world (the largest is a 60 MW plant in Olmedilla, Spain ).

But it was also a happy moment for First Solar, the Tempe, Arizona-based manufacturer of the thin-film PV panels. The global economic slowdown has hit the solar industry hard. Even in this business environment, First Solar and it’s partner in the venture, Juwi Holding, AG, managed to keep the project on track. The solar facility should begin generating electricity later this year, when all 700,000 panels are in place.

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And blogging of First Solar…the site Investment U has this:

First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR) is the biggest player in thin-film solar panels, and is also the lowest cost producer. The company is a likely candidate for the S&P 500 and should experience a great second half of 2009.

First Solar is their top solar stock pick.

First Solar Headquarters

Granted, it’s not the best photo of First Solar’s headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, but it’ll do. I was a passenger in a car heading back from a great production of Frost/Nixon (with Stacey Keach as Tricky Dick) and noticed the building up ahead. I pulled out the Flip Mino and managed to get a short clip that contained an adequate still. It’s a beautiful building. Wonder if I can wrangle a tour sometime?

(Thanks to Chris Brown for the heads-up on the stock story.)