by Jbs091009 j3 — September 11, 2009—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has finalized a $535 million loan guarantee for Solyndra, Inc., a Fremont, California, company that manufactures solar photovoltaic panels, primarily for use on large, flat rooftops. The loan guarantee is reportedly the first using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, and the first from DOE since the 1980s.
The money will finance construction of the first phase of the company’s new manufacturing facility, which will have the capacity to produce 500 megawatts of solar panels per year. Solyndra started construction of the new facility on September 4.
The facility will employ a new process for manufacturing Solyndra’s solar panels, says DOE. Solyndra deposits thin films of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), a photovoltaic material, on the inner surface of glass tubes, which are then hermetically sealed on both ends with a metal caps. The glass tubes are then assembled into large, flat solar panels.
The cylindrical design enables the CIGS material to capture direct, diffuse, and reflected sunlight, allowing the panels to be mounted flat and close together, explains DOE. This makes greater use of the rooftop area than a traditional flat solar panel, which is typically mounted in racks that tilt the panels toward the sun.
The design also allows air to flow through the panels, keeping the operating temperature down and reducing wind loads, which in turn makes installation easier, notes DOE. Solyndra’s panels will be primarily used in the fast-growing market for solar power systems installed on large, flat rooftops.
