The Midwest glass industry has spawned incredible innovation, new technologies and corporations across the globe.

A case in point.

I'm here at First Solar, one of the nation's largest solar energy companies, a multibillion dollar manufacturer headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, with three operational global manufacture RNG sites.

I'm here to meet Mike Carlucci, the chief supply chain officer at First Solar.

Thanks so much for being with me.

Michael Koraleski: Thank you, Kristie.

Glad to be here.

Kristi K.: So here we are at one of your operational plants here.

And I want to hear a little bit more about what your products are and what you make here.

Michael Koraleski: Sure.

So, absolutely.

So we make solar panels, obviously, it's a glass on glass panel.

So we actually use two pieces of glass.

And in between that piece of glass, we put a semiconductor.

And our semiconductor is different than most everyone else in the industry, where we're use a thin film technology that is both responsibly and transparent supply chain Source.

Kristi K.: So, Mike, who are your biggest customers here at First Solar?

Michael Koraleski: So our biggest customers are actually utility players.

When you go past a large utility scale market, especially tied directly to the grid that year, we play very well in the market.

Kristi K.: So on this show of business like 360, we're talking about the glass industry and the impact that it's had.

So glass obviously is a key component to all of the products that you make here.

How so?

Michael Koraleski: So we wouldn't be here without glass.

We need glass for our technology specifically.

It's what we actually deposit our semiconductor on top of, and that's what gives us our 40 year warranty from the durability of the glass, the ability to source it in the Midwest, close to our frost factories and things like that.

Actually helps us with our growth strategy over the time.

There's really no better material for our technology from the substrate and the copper than glass.

Kristi K.: Now, First Solar has deep roots in Ohio, in the Midwest, and it continues to grow and innovate and develop new technologies.

So tell us about it.

Got the number $1.5 billion of investment that you have made in your manufacturing facilities and your plants.

So tell us where those are located.

Michael Koraleski: So that 1.5 billion is actually just since August of 22, and that's just in the US alone.

We have invested obviously in the US and really neat piece that we have done just across the street from where we're standing today is about a 270, $70 million investment in an R&D facility, which is the first of its kind in the US.

Additionally, we have manufacturing centers in active operationally in it in Vietnam, Malaysia, we have one coming up in India and we just broke ground on one outside of Decatur, Alabama.

Kristi K.: That is incredible, continuing to grow.

Michael Koraleski: We're very excited.

About it indeed.

Kristi K.: So this is a big sustainability play, really.

All the things that you're doing in terms of greenhouse emissions, the electric grid, some of the things that you're doing there.

Also, there's some renewable and recycled glass that you're using to make new solar panels.

Michael Koraleski: All of our glass that we use in the process, we are actually able to recycle that.

If it was scrapped, we can use it back at our float plants or we actually sell it into the glass container industry or glass bead industry for recycled use.

We're actually able to recycle about 90% of all of our material in our solar panel.

Kristi K.: That's incredible.

Michael Koraleski: We're pretty proud of that.

Kristi K.: And you think about what glass is down to really spawn new industry.

So there's another example the renewable, recyclable.

Michael Koraleski: Absolutely It's a it's a big piece of who we are and how we operate.

We believe that you can't bring solar by itself without having a sustainable circular economy aspect to taking into account.

Kristi K.: Well, and you talked earlier a little bit about the supply chain and how there is probably a radius of supply chain companies that you are working with near here.

Yeah.

So a lot of those also were Midwest roots.

Absolutely.

Michael Koraleski: Absolutely.

So you look at a few of them in the glass industry specifically, you know, NSG, we work initially with their Ottowa, Illinois facility, which is not too far away.

And our growth actually spawned an investment in a new float in the US not too far from here in Lucky Ohio that is fully dedicated to our to our expansion here.

And we're working with them on future growth of some of their existing flow to transform them from older technology into the new technology for the solar industry.

Kristi K.: And we talk about the cost of solar panels.

How has that been impacted over the last, let's say, decade or so.

Michael Koraleski: When when I look at the costs from when I started to where we're at today, it has dropped, you in insignificant orders of magnitude.

I remember when it used to be $1 of what was a key metric you know, to get below Kristi K.: So what does First Solar's technology roadmap look like as we go into the future?

Michael Koraleski: So our technology roadmap always looks bright and solar, right?

When I look at it and we we're going to continue to grow our core technology efficiency.

So the amount of light that actually transform into electricity, we continue to improve that.

We're going to look at different technologies such as tandem technology, where we're actually working with two different semiconductor films together.

And all of those instances, the glass will play a role in that as the core piece of as the core infrastructure for where we move forward.

Kristi K.: And speaking of glass as an industry, where do you see glass and the impact of glass on the global economy in the future?

Michael Koraleski: You know, when you when we look around, we're standing in front of glass day where glass is coming down our line today.

We have glass in our cars.

We have glass everywhere.

When you look at glass across the world, it's it's something that will continue to grow.

We're going to have to watch, you know, a lot of the infrastructure around the industry is is decades old.

We need to continue to look at how invest in that and change it to a an improved technology.

You know, whether it's through hydrogen sourcing or things like that, from fuel efficiencies to get better sustainability about that product as well.

Kristi K.: Okay.

So Mike, when you are on business, Life360 60, we do something called Quick Hits, which is also rapid fire questioning.

Are you ready for this?

I'm ready.

Okay.

This helps our viewers to get to know you a little bit better.

And you're running for solar, so we'd like them to get to know you better.

Here we go.

Okay.

What was your first job?

Michael Koraleski: My first job was actually working at a golf course, picking up the range balls.

Kristi K.: Nice.

First concert.

Michael Koraleski: Oh, man, I don't know.

It was a small group out of Cleveland called Odd Girl Out back in the late eighties.

Kristi K.: So where do you want to be in 20 years?

Michael Koraleski: In 20 years?

I would like to be in a river fishing, I think, is where I would like to be.

Fly with my wife.

Yes, fly fishing.

Kristi K.: Very nice.

The best part about working at First Solar?

Michael Koraleski: My Boss.

I think I think it overall is the people.

I think that people are really what makes it fun and the industry and the mission that we deliver on right.

It's great to be part of something that's driving sustainable, something that we can look better in the future with.

So I really like the mission and vision that we stick with.

Kristi K.: You Favorite city in the world.

Michael Koraleski: Toledo, Ohio.

Kristi K.: Love the answer.

And if you weren't working in this field, what career would you be in?

Michael Koraleski: A history teacher?

Kristi K.: Ha, Very nice.

Interesting.

Well, Mike Carlucci from First Solo, thanks so much for having us here today.

Michael Koraleski: Thanks, Kristi.

Appreciate the time.