A new player has elevated the game for solar PV manufacturers. Solyndra, a California-based company, manufacturers thin film solar panels in the shape of a cylinder. The panels are designed for installation on commercial rooftops – think large, flat rooftops at big box retailers.
The shape of the panels is not only unique, but also advantageous. They are able to optimize energy output by absorbing direct, indirect, and diffuse sunlight. In addition to catching sun from more angles, the shape allows wind to pass through, rather than catching currents like tilted PV panels on flat rooftops. Check out the company’s video highlighting Solyndra’s unique approach to reshaping solar power by clicking here.
We’re not the first to catch the wave of excitement about Solyndra’s new twist on solar rooftops. The company was the first to receive a loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy. The $535 million loan, granted under Title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, has been put towards construction of a second production facility. The new warehouse will increase the company’s product output by over 400%, from 110 MW to 610 MW per year. If output is maximized each year for the next thirty years, Solyndra argues that its products will cut over 350 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Uhhh, so what is the sales price of these things, per Watt, ex-works, in volume? Their efficiency is just 10%, so they better sell at less than $1.70 per Watt, or they won’t be competitive with regular crystalline or with First Solar.
Because unless they are price (and, of course, cost competitive), Solyndra has NOT elevated the game for solar PV manufacturers, and will fail miserably (like other high-cost manufacturers have).