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Costco has tapped Solar Power Inc. to design and install a 500-kW (AC) photovoltaic system at the retailer's Hazlet, NJ, store. The array will employ Solyndra's cylindrical copper-indium-gallium-(di)selenide (CIGS) thin-film PV modules. The installation will be the single largest commercial PV system to date that incorporates Solyndra panels.

The system for Costco's Hazlet facility will use 3300 173-W Solyndra panels and a 500-kW Advanced Energy inverter. The scheduled completion date for the installation is early 3Q2009.

SPI CEO Steve Kircher said that "the Costco relationship represents yet another example of our repeatable footprint development strategy. By providing companies with a low-cost formula for deploying solar wherever needed across their enterprise, we can leverage economies of scale for our client partners while we build a solid book of business for our company."

During SPI's recent conference call, Kircher claimed that despite the chalenging economic conditions, the company's "pipeline of projects remains strong." He said that SPI had landed appoximately $23 million in commercial projects over the past three months, including a 3.5-MW job with Aerojet, two follow-on installations with Cox Enterprises, and the Costco deployment--all of which will be built this summer.

Costco has several megawatts of solar PV already installed and activated on a variety of its locations in California and Hawaii.