Solyndra Launches Real World Application of Light Solar Panels

Solyndra has launched a real world breakthrough in some ways with the announcement it is going to be placing light solar panels on big box retailers and industrial buildings. 

The Solyndra deal seems pretty straightforward, but there is a hidden component to it. That component is the fact we are looking at the application of a large solar panel configuration on already built structures that require no structural retrofitting. It may sound convoluted, but it is significant. 

So, what is the big deal? Well, think about it for a minute. We all throw residential solar panels on our roofs without a second thought. This is because we require a nominal amount of energy. A small enough number of panels are needed to generate the electricity that we need, so there really is no structural issue on the roofs. 

Now consider what we are talking about with this project. Solyndra is able to install a large number of panels on these structures without requiring any structure changes to provide support. We are talking about major systems. This project alone will produce over 16 megawatts of energy in the Los Angeles area. That is a sizeable chunk of electricity. 

Many have wondered why we don’t solve the electrical problems in cities by just slapping solar panel systems up on the top of warehouses and what have you. The reason was the cost involved in the retrofitting of the roofs. It looks like that may no longer be the case and that could be a huge step forward for solar energy as a general electrical application.