The Patent Licensing Agreement

First Solar, Inc. announced on February 24, 2026 that it has entered a non-exclusive patent licensing agreement with Oxford Photovoltaics Limited, giving First Solar access to Oxford PV’s portfolio of existing issued patents and currently pending patent applications.

The license covers the potential manufacturing and distribution of photovoltaic solar devices that employ a perovskite semiconductor in the US. Target markets include utility-scale, commercial and industrial, and residential applications. The scope explicitly excludes crystalline silicon semiconductors, and other financial terms were not disclosed.

“This agreement allows us to continue pursuing viable pathways to manufacturing and commercializing thin film-perovskite products that could meet our long-term goal of serving all addressable markets. This agreement reflects the confidence we have in our R&D team’s progress in developing an efficient, stable, and manufacturable perovskite device, while aligning with our longstanding positions on respecting and safeguarding intellectual property rights.”

— Mark Widmar, Chief Executive Officer, First Solar

First Solar and Oxford PV’s Perovskite Programs

First Solar is the largest solar manufacturer in the Western Hemisphere and the world’s largest producer of thin film solar technology. The company has invested more than $2 billion in thin film research and development, with a significant portion directed at perovskite device research.

The company operates a dedicated perovskite development line at its Perrysburg, Ohio campus, producing small form-factor modules that incorporate a perovskite semiconductor. First Solar has stated it has met key internal milestones in the program, including initial-stage efficiency, stability, and manufacturability objectives.

Oxford PV holds what it describes as the strongest global patent portfolio for perovskite solar technologies. Founded in 2010 as a spin-out of the University of Oxford, the UK-headquartered company manufactures and commercializes perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cells and modules at its facility in Brandenburg, Germany, and is pursuing expansion into high-volume manufacturing.

“Strong intellectual property frameworks are essential to supporting innovation at scale across the solar industry. We welcome First Solar’s ongoing commitment to a perovskite-based PV future. Agreements like this, building on earlier industry validation, reflect growing confidence in perovskite-based photovoltaics — the next generation of solar technology we have been developing for over a decade — and support its advancement in the US market.”

— David Ward, Chief Executive Officer, Oxford PV

First Solar’s US Manufacturing Expansion

First Solar has manufactured in the United States since 2002. It currently operates five manufacturing facilities across Alabama, Louisiana, and Ohio, and has a sixth plant under construction in South Carolina. That facility is expected to begin commercial operations in the second half of 2026.

First Solar inaugurated its fifth U.S. manufacturing facility in Iberia Parish, Louisiana in November 2025, a $1.1 billion investment with 3.5 gigawatts of nameplate capacity. The new South Carolina plant is expected to add 3.7 gigawatts of annual nameplate capacity, bringing First Solar’s total US manufacturing capacity to approximately 18 GW by 2027. The company projects it will have invested approximately $4.5 billion in American manufacturing and R&D infrastructure between 2019 and 2026.

The perovskite licensing agreement positions First Solar to potentially extend its thin film technology roadmap beyond its current cadmium telluride (CdTe) platform. Commercializing perovskite-based products at scale would represent a significant step in the company’s long-term goal of addressing all major US solar market segments.