Tier-One Technology Tracker: Charting the Momentum of Thin-Film Leaders Solar Frontier and First Solar

First Solar and Solar Frontier are the two leading manufacturers of thin-film modules. As both are champions are different materials (CdTe vs. CIGS respectively), they also have very distinct presences in the global photovoltaic industry. With similar technology advantages over crystalline silicon modules, we assess how these two companies have diverged to pursue different areas of the market and what their future prospects. To compare the two, we determine their relative momentum and identify evolving strategies that can change their dynamic in the industry – particularly with their pursuit of utility-scale vs distributed applications and their accelerating technology improvements.