Dow, First Solar sign PPA for 200 MW Horizon Solar project

First Solar, Inc. has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Dow, Inc. for its Gulf Coast operations. Dow’s Texas Operations is the largest petrochemical site in the western hemisphere.

Under the agreement, First Solar will supply Dow with renewable energy from 75% of its 200-megawatt (MW)AC Horizon Solar project in Frio County, Texas. The project will utilize First Solar’s high-performance, eco-efficient Series 6 photovoltaic (PV) modules, designed and developed at the Company’s research and development (R&D) centers in California and Ohio. The Series 6 modules that will power the project utilize a range of advanced technologies, including ENGAGE™ PV Polyolefin Elastomers by Dow, which are used as encapsulant films to enhance the module’s performance and efficiency.

The portion of the solar facility covered by the PPA will generate enough electricity to power up to 25,000 average Texas homes, while displacing 147,000 metric tons of CO2 annually, equivalent to planting 2.4 million trees per year. The project will create approximately 350 jobs at the peak of construction and is also expected to bring benefits to local businesses.