Scout Clean Energy buys almost 400 MW of First Solar modules – pv magazine USA

May 17, 2022Tim Sylvia

Scout Clean Energy, a developer, owner and operator of renewable energy from Boulder, Colorado, has announced an agreement with First Solar to purchase the company’s 378 MW advanced thin-film photovoltaic solar modules.

Scout, a portfolio company of Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, currently has a pipeline to develop solar panels with a capacity of more than 12 GW of solar photovoltaics, batteries and ground wind projects, which are distributed in 21 US states, and modules purchased from First Solar will be used to begin construction on several projects at a late stage, work is expected in 2024.

Announcing the purchase, Michael Racker, founder and CEO of Scout Clean Energy, cited a Department of Commerce (DOC) investigation into solar cell and module manufacturers in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, noting that modules are purchased from American company. the manufacturer is crucial to keep up with project timelines.

“Purchasing our modules from a U.S. supply partner at this challenging time reinforces our competitive advantage in meeting our customers’ urgent needs for solar energy to achieve their decarbonisation goals, ”Rocker said. “As we diversify Scout’s asset base and grow our solar portfolio, we want to receive our panels through partners we can trust to supply them without compromising on quality, ethical sources of raw materials and who are committed to continuous innovation. First Solar readily meets these critical criteria for a scout. ”

Due to the uncertainty of the supply of American modules caused by the investigation, First Solar, one of the largest manufacturers of solar modules on a communal scale, was not subject to investigation, was able to complete some massive supply agreements. Although, in the company Return to the income statement for the 1st quarter of 2022CEO Mark Windmar said most of these bookings were with repeat, aging customers.

“We are encouraged by our strong progress in booking, as we booked 11.9 GW_DC less than 60 days after the previous earnings call, bringing our booking from the beginning of the year to 16.7 GW_DC, further tuning ourselves to 2023 and beyond, ”Windmar said. “Our flexible approach to contracting continues to attract customers looking for long-term confidence and value.”

Windmar shared that there is a “significant amount” of new customers, indicating their trust in the company, the value of cadmium telluride technology and the company’s adherence to the principles of responsible solar energy, but also the risk of implementing a “solar strategy at all costs”.

Speaking directly about the DOC investigation, Windmar stressed the company’s position. He said First Solar views the anti-circumvention investigation as a positive step towards resolving the issue of modules being completed in Southeast Asia in an attempt to avoid tariffs. “For too long, the American solar industry has been under siege by Chinese-based companies and subsidized companies that violate free and fair trade rules.”

We have heard that lobbyists advocating free governance of China in the US market have proclaimed the story “the sky is falling”. Their doom and gloom is indicative. This suggests that they fear that the Ministry of Commerce will find that Chinese solar panel manufacturers are actually bypassing, and will hold them accountable for their unfair and illegal trade practices. Although lobbyists describe Auxin as the only company that seeks to inadequately use the law, it is for such cases that the laws are designed.

Some of the notable deals and supply bookings that First Solar has closed since the announcement of the investigation include:

First Solar invests $ 680 million in expanding America’s domestic production capacity by 3.3 GW annually by building a third U.S. manufacturing facility in Lake Township, Ohio. The new facility is expected to be commissioned in the first half of 2023, and after full commissioning, the company’s total capacity in Northwest Ohio will be 6 GW.

In addition to production facilities in Ohio, First Solar also operates plants in Vietnam and Malaysia, and is building a new 3.3 GW plant in India, which is expected to be commissioned in the second half of 2023. With the expansion of First Solar in the United States and India and the optimization of the existing fleet, the company expects its production capacity to double to 16 GW by 2024.