First Solar, Inc. has announced a patent licensing agreement that gives it access to existing issued patents and currently pending patent applications of Oxford Photovoltaics Ltd (Oxford PV).
The non-exclusive license paves the way for First Solar, the largest solar manufacturer in the Western Hemisphere and the world’s largest producer of thin film solar technology, to continue advancing its development of photovoltaic (PV) solar devices employing a perovskite semiconductor for potential applications in the US utility scale, commercial and industrial, and residential markets. The scope of the license covers the potential manufacturing and distribution of such products in the US and excludes crystalline silicon semiconductors. Other 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,” said Mark Widmar, CEI, First Solar. “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.”
First Solar has spent over US$2 billion on thin film research and development, which includes a focus on perovskites. The company’s investments include a new perovskite development line at its Perrysburg, Ohio, campus that produces small form-factor modules featuring a perovskite semiconductor, allowing First Solar to meet key internal milestones in its perovskite development program, including initial-stage efficiency, stability, and manufacturability objectives.
Oxford PV is a leader in perovskite PV, holding the strongest global patent portfolio for perovskite solar technologies. The UK-headquartered company operates a multifaceted business model that combines manufacturing with strategic licensing, aligned with its mission to make perovskite PV mainstream. Oxford PV manufactures and commercialises perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cells and modules in Brandenburg, Germany, and is pursuing expansion into high-volume manufacturing as part of its long-term growth strategy.
“Strong intellectual property frameworks are essential to supporting innovation at scale across the solar industry,” added David Ward, CEO of Oxford PV. “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.”
Having manufactured in the US since 2002, First Solar is the country’s leading PV solar technology and manufacturing company. It operates the largest solar technology manufacturing and research and development (R&D) footprint in the Western Hemisphere with five operational manufacturing facilities in Alabama, Louisiana, and Ohio, and a sixth plant under construction in South Carolina, which is expected to begin operation in 2H26. The new South Carolina facility is expected to increase First Solar’s capacity to produce American-made solar technology by 3.7 GW, reaching approximately 18 GW of annual nameplate capacity in 2027. Altogether, the Company will have invested approximately US$4.5 billion in American manufacturing and R&D infrastructure since 2019.
For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.
Energy Global's Winter 2025 issue
Don’t miss out on our final issue of Energy Global this year! The Winter issue begins with a regional report on Africa’s energy future, with articles on topics such as wind turbine components, geothermal drilling & operations and energy storage technology. With contributors including Magnomatics, Flyability, Bachmann electronic GmbH, NOV, and more, don’t miss out!