Developer sues First Solar, alleging defects in more than 2 million solar modules

Swift Current Energy, a Massachusetts-based developer, has sued First Solar in New York state court, alleging the U.S. manufacturer knowingly supplied defective thin-film modules and used misleading testing to hide performance problems, Ben Zientara reported Monday in pv magazine.

The complaint, filed in September, covers more than 2.4 million Series 6 Plus and Series 7 cadmium telluride modules at three U.S. projects, including the 800-megawatt Double Black Diamond solar farm in Illinois. Swift Current says it paid more than $360 million for the modules, which degraded faster and produced less power than expected after installation in 2023 and 2024, leaving it unable to meet commitments under power purchase agreements.

The suit cites two alleged manufacturing flaws in more than 1.6 million of the modules, including an edge-grinding problem that First Solar disclosed in October 2024, when it took a $50 million warranty charge. Swift Current also alleges that First Solar inflates nameplate ratings with an undisclosed "preconditioning" test that exposes modules to extreme heat, voltage and light before they are measured.

In a May 2025 response to Swift Current's warranty claims, First Solar said the developer had not adequately described or documented the defects and that system-level output data could not be used under the warranty terms. It proposed lab testing of individual modules, which Swift Current called "commercially impossible." The pv magazine report did not include a comment from First Solar on the lawsuit.

The parties are scheduled to appear before Justice Andrew Borrok of the New York County Commercial Division on Nov. 16.

This brief is based on an article published Oct. 19, 2026, by Ben Zientara in pv magazine. Read the original: https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/10/19/swift-current-alleges-widespread-module-defects-in-lawsuit-against-first-solar/