First Solar Eyes Perovskite Scale-Up with Oxford PV Patent Licence for US Market

First Solar, Inc. has entered into a patent licensing agreement granting it access to the existing issued patents and currently pending patent applications of Oxford Photovoltaics Limited (Oxford PV). The non-exclusive licence enables First Solar—the solar manufacturer and the thin-film solar technology producer to develop photovoltaic (PV) devices that employ a perovskite semiconductor. 

These devices are intended for potential applications across the US utility-scale, commercial and industrial, and residential markets. The scope of the licence covers the manufacture and distribution of such products in the United States and excludes crystalline silicon semiconductors. Financial and other commercial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

During the Q4 FY25 earnings call, Mark Widmar, chief executive officer of First Solar, said the company is operating a development line through which it is transferring breakthroughs from research and development into manufacturing. He noted that First Solar is no longer limited to laboratory-scale work and is producing fully functional, small form-factor modules, measuring roughly 60 centimetres by 20 centimetres, as part of its perovskite programme under the agreement with Oxford PV.

Widmar also highlighted Oxford PV’s role in the broader perovskite ecosystem, noting that the UK-headquartered company 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.

Referring specifically to Oxford PV’s perovskite programme, Widmar said the company is producing small form-factor modules—around 60 centimetres by 20 centimetres—using an actual integrated production process. These modules are fully functional and incorporate advances from Oxford PV’s advanced research efforts in California and Sweden, with all performance and reliability testing conducted within the company’s development line.

Perovskite Development Moves To Pilot Production

First Solar is advancing integrated manufacturing processes for its perovskite research programme, producing fully functional small form-factor modules on a dedicated development line. The company is transferring innovations from its advanced research activities into pilot-scale manufacturing to evaluate efficiency, stability, and manufacturability.

First Solar has invested more than $2 billion in thin-film research and development, including perovskites. These investments include a perovskite development line at its Perrysburg, Ohio campus, which produces small form-factor modules featuring a perovskite semiconductor. The line has enabled First Solar to meet key internal milestones in its perovskite development programme.

First Solar Operationalises Six Manufactuirng Facility 

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 the second half of 2026.

The new South Carolina facility is expected to increase First Solar’s capacity to produce American-made solar technology by 3.7 gigawatts (GW), reaching approximately 18 GW of annual nameplate capacity in 2027. Altogether, the Company will have invested approximately $4.5 billion in American manufacturing and R&D infrastructure since 2019.

Leadership View

On the latest announcement, Mark Widmar, chief executive officer, First Solar said, “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,” 

“Strong intellectual property frameworks are essential to supporting innovation at scale across the solar industry,” said David Ward, chief executive officer 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.”