What Strengthens First Solar's Leadership in PV Recycling Business?

First Solar, Inc. FSLR operates a photovoltaic (PV) module recycling program as part of its sustainability-focused business model. The company provides global end-of-life recycling services for its thin-film cadmium telluride modules, enabling material recovery and reuse within the manufacturing cycle. This initiative is integrated into its product offering, supporting lifecycle management and environmental compliance for utility-scale customers.

The company currently operates recycling facilities at its manufacturing sites in the United States, India, Malaysia, Vietnam and Germany. It has a unique and long-standing leadership position in PV recycling, having established the industry’s first global recycling program in 2005 and recycled approximately 400,000 metric tons of PV modules to date. This early investment has allowed the company to build operational expertise and dedicated infrastructure around responsible module disposal and material recovery.

First Solar’s recycling process is designed to recover semiconductor materials, glass and metals at high recovery rates. By embedding recycling capabilities into its operations, the company aims to reduce raw material dependence, manage environmental risk and strengthen its value proposition with sustainability-focused project developers. The company’s recycling platform also aligns with increasing regulatory scrutiny and circular economy initiatives in key solar markets.

As global solar installations expand, end-of-life management is becoming increasingly important, positioning recycling as a long-term support function within the solar value chain. This helps First Solar strengthen customer ties, meet regulatory requirements, reduce material reliance and enhance its competitive position through a sustainability-focused offering.

Recycling Investments Support PV Lifecycle Expansion

Recycling investments and sustainability policies are strengthening PV lifecycle management, while circular economy and end-of-life regulations improve module recycling efficiency. Other solar companies advancing similar initiatives are discussed below.

Canadian Solar Inc. CSIQ partnered with U.S. PV recycling firm Solarcycle to provide end-of-life module recycling services, integrating responsible disposal and material recovery with its solar panel sales and lifecycle support.

JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. JKS advances sustainability initiatives, including environmental management systems and PV module recycling programs, aligning operations with evolving regulatory standards and circular economy practices in global solar markets.

Earnings Estimates for FSLR Stock

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings per share indicates an increase of 58.82% year over year. FSLR’s long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 33.5%.

FSLR Stock Trading at a Discount

First Solar is trading at a discount relative to the industry, with a forward 12-month price-to-earnings of 10.05X compared with the industry average of 18.51X.

FSLR Stock Price Performance

In the past year, FSLR shares have risen 58.2% compared with the industry’s 49.3% growth.

FSLR’s Zacks Rank

First Solar currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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