SCE, First Solar Complete First Rooftop Solar Project

First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) and Southern Califronia Edison (SCE) yesterday announced the completion of the first of 150 proposed rooftop solar installations in Southern California.

First Solar installed the 2 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic power system on the rooftop of a commercial building in Fontana, California. This is the first project in SCE’s announced plan to install 250 MW of solar generating capacity on large commercial rooftops throughout Southern California over the next five years. First Solar engineered the rooftop system, manufactured the solar modules and supplied the balance-of-system equipment for the project.

Under a formal bid process, SCE yesterday also announced the selection of First Solar for the second project of the initiative. The second project will be a 1-MW solar power system installed on a commercial building in Chino, California.

"This innovative solar rooftop initiative is a natural extension of our industry leadership in renewable energy," said Ted Craver, Edison International chairman and CEO. "We are driving solar technology forward and identifying creative new ways to integrate solar power into the electricity grid. A program of this scale could transform solar generation, helping bring costs down and providing us with another important way to meet the environmental challenges of the future."

First Solar, Inc. manufactures solar modules with an advanced thin film semiconductor technology and provides comprehensive photovoltaic (PV) solutions that significantly reduce solar electricity costs. First Solar set the benchmark for environmentally responsible product life cycle management by introducing the industry’s first comprehensive collection and recycling program for solar modules. From raw material sourcing through end-of-life collection and recycling, First Solar is focused on creating cost-effective renewable energy solutions that protect and enhance the environment.

Southern California Edison is an Edison International (NYSE: EIX) company and the largest electric utility in California, serving a population of more than 13 million via 4.8 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.