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SPG Solar has completed the deployment of a 132-KWp solar power system on the rooftop of Cinema West's Livermore (CA) Cinema. The now-operational installation features hundreds of copper-indium-gallium-(di)selenide (CIGS) thin-film panels incorporating cylinidrical glass modules manufactured by Solyndra.
Solyndra says the project is one of many major commercial installations that have been completed or are under way in the U.S. and Europe that employ its TFPV systems in the U.S. and Europe. Company VP Kelly Truman recently told Greentech Media that a 480-KW system in Spain and a pair of systems in Germany-- sized at 100 and 400 KW--are among those installations.
The Livermore project involved covering a complex roof shape with many areas not aligned in the north/south direction. While conventional PV panels would have needed to be tilted facing southward to avoid significant energy loss, the flat orientation of Solyndra panels has minimal impact on overall energy yield.
"The Solyndra system allowed us to maximize the available roof space, minimize labor and installation costs, and increase power production–which allowed us to optimize our client's investment in solar," said Ted Walsh, SPG Solar's director of commercial development.
Since there is no need for roof-penetrating mounts or ballast to hold panels in place, the installation took less than four days. "No other system could offset as much power--the installation was over before we knew it," said David Corkill, owner of the cinemas.
Solyndra recently received a $535 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy. The company said it plans to use the funds to expand its manufacturing base and help finance the construction of a new 500-MW CIGS module/panel factory near its first production fab in Fremont, CA.
