Dive Brief:

• First Solar plans to increasingly focus on rooftop solar projects because demand for utility-scale solar farms is dropping, according to company officials.
• The Tempe, Ariz.-based company is competing for 45 MW of commercial projects and has been short-listed for 15 MW.
• First Solar believes it can lower total installed costs for solar to $1/watt (W) in 2017 from $1.56/W last year.
• First Solar, the largest solar manufacturer in the U.S., plans to increase production to 1,900 MW this year from 1,600 MW last year.

Dive Insight:

The solar market is shifting from utility-scale projects to rooftop solar, which Goldman Sachs expects will grow at a 45% annual pace in the next three years. First Solar's shift in strategy reflects the changing market.