AUSSIE PV JOB BIGGEST EVER DOWN UNDER

First Solar to Supply Modules for Australia’s Largest Solar PV Installation; Project at Adelaide Showground Will Highlight Advanced Photovoltaic Technology
April 28, 2009 (Business Wire)

"First Solar, Inc….will supply photovoltaic (PV) modules to Solar Shop Australia, Pty Ltd. (Solar Shop), for a 1 megawatt (MW) DC rooftop project. The solar power system, installed on six separate buildings at the Adelaide Showground in South Australia, will be the largest PV installation in the country. The rooftop system is being commissioned by the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia.

"First Solar is the world’s largest manufacturer of thin film solar modules. The Company recently announced that it has produced 1 gigawatt of its PV modules since beginning commercial production. In addition, First Solar has the lowest manufacturing cost in the industry, having broken the $1 per watt price barrier by reducing its manufacturing cost to 98 cents…"

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"Solar Shop, in an alliance partnership with building and engineering company Build Environs Pty Ltd., will design and construct the 1 MW installation, which is expected to displace approximately 1500 tons of CO2 every year. Construction is anticipated to begin immediately and is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2009. The power produced by the solar installation will be used predominantly at the Adelaide Showground site, displacing power generated from conventional sources…

"… First Solar manufactures solar modules with an advanced semiconductor technology…By constantly decreasing manufacturing costs, First Solar is creating an affordable and environmentally responsible alternative to fossil-fuel generation. First Solar modules are most effective when demand for traditional forms of energy is at its peak…"