Californian PV manufacturer Solyndra, Inc., recently unveiled a new solar photovoltaic system design targeted towards the commercial low-slope rooftop market that will generate significantly more electricity than current flat solar panel technologies.
The technology is somewhat similar to the evacuated tube design already in use for solar hot water systems. The Solyndra system consists of 40 copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin-films rolled into a cylindrical shape placed in a 1 meter by 2 meter panel frame.
Solyndra’s panels use of cylindrical modules is capable of converting direct, diffuse and reflected sunlight into electricity. The tubular design negates the need for tracking systems and complex solar panel mounting usually required to achieve the correct angle on flat or low slope rooftops such as are commonly found in industry. Flat plate solar panels also lose some of their efficiency in hotter conditions, but increased air flow around the tube design allows the collectors to stay cooler.
The company states that when mounted horizontally and tightly packed together, their product can occupy more of the available roof area, therefore producing more electricity per rooftop than a conventional panel installation.
Additionally, in a normal panel, if the glass should be broken and a cell damaged, the repairs can be costly if not impossible to perform. The Solyndra panel allows for easy replacement of individual tubes.
The Solyndra product is currently only available for commercial installations and while we do hope to we see this sort of technology available for home solar power installations soon, unfortunately it can be years before cutting edge solar power development finally filter down to the domestic market.
