Gina Roos
Green SupplyLine
10/07/2008 4:03 PM

 Fremont, Calif. — Solyndra, Inc. has introduced a new solar photovoltaic (PV) system, comprised of panels and mounting hardware, for commercial rooftops. The company claims the new PV system can generate significantly more solar electricity on an annual basis from typical low-slope commercial rooftops with lower installation costs than conventional flat-panel PV technologies.

Solyndra, founded in 2005, has been developing technology and ramping manufacturing capacity to produce its proprietary CIGS-based thin-film PV system. The company is currently shipping its systems to fulfill more than $1.2 billion of multi-year contracts with customers in Europe and the United States.

Solyndra's proprietary panels use cylindrical modules that capture sunlight across a 360-degree photovoltaic surface capable of converting direct, diffuse and reflected sunlight into electricity. This self-tracking design allows the PV systems to capture significantly more sunlight than traditional flat-surfaced solar panels, said the company.

In addition, the panels are said to perform optimally when they are mounted horizontally and packed closely together, covering more of the available roof area and producing more electricity per rooftop.

The new design also simplifies installation and reduces costs. According to Solyndra, for typical conventional PV installations, a solar panel is only half the cost of a complete installation; the other half includes additional expenses such as installation, cables and inverters. Solyndra panels, featuring horizontal mounting and unique air-flow properties, eliminate the need for roof-penetrating mounts and wind ballasts.

"By eliminating the need for roof-penetrating mounts and wind ballasts, PV arrays with Solyndra panels can be installed with one-third the labor, in one-third of the time, at one-half the cost,” said Manfred Baechler, chief technical officer at Phoenix Solar AG, one of the largest solar power integrators in Europe, in a statement. "For commercial rooftops, PV module installation time can now be measured in days, not weeks. For flat commercial rooftops this is game-changing technology."

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