A startup called Solyndra has developed cylindrical solar panels that are easier to install and take up less space than traditional panels and can absorb solar energy from any direction, according to the San Francisco Chronicle:
Solyndra’s tubes, made at the company’s Fremont factory, don’t need to be tilted to face the sun the way traditional solar cells do. They work just as well lying flat, making them ideal for the wide-open roofs of office buildings, warehouses and big-box retail stores.
And because Solyndra’s racks leave an inch of space between each tube, they don’t catch the wind very easily and don’t need to be bolted to the roof, cutting installation time and cost.
Yet another example of a clever solution to a problem (that’s kind of the running theme for this blog, of course). While the technical achievement of collecting solar energy from any direction is impressive, being able to install the panels easily — according to Solyndra they don’t need to be bolted down — is really exciting.
If adding solar panels becomes as easy as setting down a freestanding rack, homeowners and renters alike could put panels on roofs, on patios, in yards and anywhere else exposed to sunlight. Maybe solar panels could become as common as satellite dishes on buildings today, especially if a standardized way to plug them into the grid is developed and could be installed easily in an hour or two.
