First Solar, Inc. announced the commencement of an underwritten public offering of 8,500,000 shares of its common stock. In addition, First Solar will grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,275,000 shares of common stock. First Solar intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, which may include acquisitions of under development photovoltaic solar power system projects, investments in photovoltaic solar power system projects that will be jointly developed with strategic partners and capital expenditures or strategic investments to develop certain business units and expand in new geographies. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, BofA Merrill Lynch and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. Credit Suisse, HSBC, Credit Agricole CIB and Goldman, Sachs & Co. are also acting as book-running managers for the offering.

The shares are being offered pursuant to a shelf registration statement previously filed with and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on June 11, 2013. A preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the offering have been filed with the SEC and are available on the SEC's website at //www.sec.gov. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the offering may also be obtained from J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by calling (866) 803-9204, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC at Prospectus Dept: 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014, Attn: Prospectus Department, or by calling (866) 718-1649, or by emailing prospectus@morganstanley.com, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, 222 Broadway, New York, NY 10038, Attn: Prospectus Department or by emailing dg.prospectus_requests@baml.com or Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by calling (800) 831-9146.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.