Caterpillar and First Solar are allying to develop an integrated photovoltaic solar solution for microgrid applications. Under the agreement, First Solar will design and manufacture a pre-engineered turnkey package for remote microgrids used for small communities and mine sites.
The package will feature Cat-branded solar panels manufactured by First Solar. Caterpillar will exclusively sell and support the integrated offering through its worldwide Cat dealer network, along with its current offerings of generator sets and energy storage.
Microgrids provide value to prime power diesel and gas customers by integrating renewable energy, such as solar power, with generator sets.
Caterpillar expects to first market the new microgrid solution in the Asia Pacific, Africa, and Latin America regions, beginning in the second half of 2015.
