First Solar’s Operations & Maintenance group has announced it now has 5 gigawatts (GW) of assets in its portfolio of solar power plants, firmly establishing it as the largest solar O&M provider in the world. First Solar Energy Services, which has held the top position on GTM Research’s “Global O&M and Asset Management” report for the past two years, surpasses the next nearest O&M provider by approximately 1.8 GW.
“Our customers have entrusted us to make sure they get the most out of their investments,” said Troy Lauterbach, Vice President, First Solar Energy Services. “We help them minimize risk and maximize the value of their renewable energy assets.”
First Solar Energy Services has grown alongside the solar industry over the past half-decade. In 2009, the fledgling O&M group commenced operation of the 21-MW Blythe Solar Project in California, which at the time was the largest PV plant in the world. Today, the group operates and maintains solar power plants for owners in 10 countries, and include some of the largest PV power plants in the world.
First Solar Operations Centers (FSOC) are located in Tempe, Arizona; Sydney, Australia; and Berlin, Germany. The flagship Tempe FSOC is frequently visited by grid operators, regulators and energy industry experts from around the world seeking demonstrations of First Solar’s unmatched operations technology and capabilities.