Apple named as Mesa buyer

11 November 2013

A newspaper report has named Apple as the purchaser of First Solar's Arizona module manufacturing facility. The plant never started module production and features the state's largest rooftop solar array.

The Phoenix Business Journal has reported Apple – via a data server company – is the company that bought First Solar's Mesa, Arizona, manufacturing facility.

The Tempe, Florida-based solar company sold off the Mesa facility at the end of October, having announced in a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it expected to take a $55-60 million hit on the module production line that never began production.

With First Solar reporting the sale will bring proceeds of $115 million, the Business Journal, quoting 'sources close to the deal', said Apple had bought the site via a data server company which has Apple as a client.

Apple has so far been coy on its plans but the Arizona Commerce Authority announced last week that the electronics mega corp would be coming to Arizona and creating 700 high quality jobs – as well as 1,300 construction posts – in Mesa as part of a planned new manufacturing facility.

In its press release, Sandra Watson, CEO and president of the commerce authority, mentioned 'Apple's commitment to manufacturing that will rely on renewable energy.'

The Mesa facility sold by First Solar included the state's largest solar rooftop array – variously reported as 3.3 MW and 4.1 MQ in capacity, as well as a small ground-mounted test array.