Sunny Side Up

Perhaps you’ve been there: intrigued by the possibility of solar power, but not by the prospect of heavy ballast to hold panels in place, additional holes in the roof for installation or having to reinforce structural steel.

If that’s the case, Solyndra has good news. The company constructs easy-to-install, high-tech solar panels made of racks of cylindrical tubes that lay flat on a roof and greatly improve the amount of electricity produced per rooftop.

The Fremont, Calif.-based company has performed more than 500 installations on various roof types. Roughly four of five installations have been in Europe, according to vice president of marketing Mike Grunow, but if the company has its way, it will transition to more of a “50-50 split” between the United States and Europe over the next few years.

Most states offer incentives that support solar, in addition to a federal investment tax credit that turned to a grant at the end of 2010 that covers up to 30 percent of the cost of a reflective roof installed in connection with the Solyndra panels. Factor in the potential reduction in air conditioning costs due to the reflective roof, Grunow says, as well as projected energy savings, and customers often have an “a-ha” moment.

Suddenly, the normally wasted space on top of the building looks like an asset. “It tends to create a very powerful argument to move forward,” Grunow says.

Positive momentum
Solyndra has made its share of news recently. The company won a $535 million loan guarantee from the federal government and this year was named one of the “50 Most Innovative Companies in the World” by MIT’s Technology Review magazine.

Not all of the headlines were positive, however: Solyndra closed its first plant, laid off 40 employees and decided not to renew contracts for some 150 temporary workers, and halved its projected 2013 production capacity from 610 megawatts to 300 megawatts. Competition from low-cost Chinese manufacturers has proven tough.

And yet, Grunow remains optimistic.

“If you consider what’s happened over the last year and a half,” he says, “we’ve been able to cut our costs significantly.” The new facility can produce the panels more efficiently, he says, reducing costs even more.

Challenges aside, several things have happened to positively affect the solar landscape. First, Grunow says, technologies have become increasingly application-specific. There are now solar panels that work best on large commercial rooftop facilities. Five years ago, it was more “one-size-fits-all.”

“Customers want more than just solar electricity,” Grunow says. “They want their entire facility to be green.” Companies also are looking for ways to let customers know they’re using power from renewable resources and reducing their carbon footprint.

The perfect storm
And then there’s the fact that installation prices have significantly dropped.

“In 2007-2008, it wasn’t uncommon to see turnkey installation prices at $6 to $7 a watt,” Grunow says. “These days, we’re able to offer it from $4 to $4.50 a watt. Prices are down about 33 percent.”

For Chuck O’Brien, the decision to install Solyndra panels on two of his three California O’Brien’s Market grocery stores wasn’t a difficult one. Faced with a projected 10 percent rate increase by his utility company and the possibility of federal and state incentives that would allow installation “without a penny out of pocket,” O’Brien dove in last year.

He admits that, without the incentives, the solar installation wouldn’t pay for itself on energy savings alone. But it ended up being “a perfect storm” that fit into his company’s overall green efforts. The only reason he didn’t install the panels on all three stores, O’Brien says, is that the third has a barrel-shaped Quonset hut roof.

Roof shape and type is a factor for anyone considering solar. Many big-box roofs are what Grunow calls “value-engineered,” meaning they can’t support a significant load without structural upgrades. The Solyndra system, however, is not only lighter in weight but, since the wind blows through the cylinders, they don’t require the same anchoring as more traditional crystalline silicone flat panels.

According to the company, they also can be easily relocated or reconfigured when adding a skylight, updating air conditioning units or leaving the facility all together. And when paired with a cool (also called white) roof, the solar cylinders can reduce air conditioning expenses by 29 percent.

For those that don’t have cool roofs already in place — or don’t have roofs that will last far into the future — Solyndra is able to tie roof construction into available incentives.

Regardless, Grunow says, Solyndra has the ability to put solar panels “where other competitors just can’t go.

“Many times, we meet large retailers who are blown away because they have buildings in their portfolio that nobody has ever talked to them about putting solar on,” he says. “We think solar is going to grow really fast in the next few years, and we believe we’re the right people to help it happen.”