Solyndra is a private company based in Fremont, California with a unique solar panel design utilizing flat roof spaces. The cylindrical shaped panels resemble fluorescent light bulbs and can be mounted flat on unsloped rooftops. Traditional solar panels must be angled towards direct sunlight to operate efficiently. Solyndra panels (or tubes) lie flat and can collect sunlight from multiple directions. The spaces typically existing between angled panels are eliminated with the Solyndra flat mounting panels. Solyndra panels use a thin film photovoltaic material, wrapping a full 360 degrees around the solar cylinder. This allows sunlight to be collected from both direct rays and rays reflected from the roof underneath the panel, improving collection efficiency. The roof is often painted white to maximize sunlight collection.
The company is young and only has a few installed systems, but the company claims there is enough rooftop space in the United States to supply 150 gigawatts of power using their round solar panels. Since the system lies flat, it is fairly simple to install and doesn’t require much modification to the existing structure. Many businesses may be attracted to the flat panel design because it won’t affect buildings aesthetically. The systems are often unseen from the street level because of the low profile design. This is one of the most unique solar companies around today; more can be read about Solyndra at:
(image from http://solyndra.com/Products/More-Electricity)
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