First Solar Seeks 5.5 Gigawatts of Sales to Fill Pipeline (business article)
First Solar Seeks 5.5 Gigawatts of Sales to Fill Pipeline
By Christopher Martin & Ehren Goossens - May 7, 2013
First Solar Inc. (FSLR), the largest U.S. solar manufacturer by shipments, said its pursuing as much as 5.5 gigawatts of prospective sales, mainly in the Americas, after its pipeline of orders was unchanged in the first quarter.
The company reported $8 billion in expected revenue at the end of the first quarter, unchanged from the end of December, Chief Executive Officer Jim Hughes said during a conference call yesterday.
The company expects results in the second half of the year to be better than in the first half, reversing an earlier forecast, as it acquires new solar farms that will use its panels. Of the 5.5 gigawatts of potential orders, about 700 megawatts comes from mid- to late-stage projects that are nearing construction, Hughes said.
We are focusing on replenishing our pipeline in 2014 and beyond, Hughes said.
That includes projects in Chile, Canada and a steady diet of stranded solar projects that developers cant complete in California and elsewhere in the U.S. Southwest, he said. The company forecasts its results using expected revenue from panels it will install at solar farms its developing and contracted sales to other developers...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-07/first-solar-seeks-5-5-gigawatts-of-sales-to-fill-pipeline.html