Solyndra
Encyclopedia
Solyndra was a manufacturer of cylindrical panels of CIGS
thin-film solar cells based in Fremont, California
. Although the company was once touted for its unusual technology, plummeting silicon
prices led to the company being unable to compete with more conventional solar panels. On September 1, 2011, the company ceased all business activity, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
, and laid off all employees. The company is also being sued by employees who were abruptly laid off.
The solar panels developed by the company were claimed to be unlike any other product ever tried in the industry. The panels were made of racks of cylindrical tubes (also called tubular solar panels), as opposed to traditional flat panels. Solyndra rolled its copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) thin films into a cylindrical shape and placed 40 of them in each 1-meter-by-2-meter panel. The cylindrical solar panels can absorb energy from any direction (direct, indirect, and reflected light).
Each Solyndra cylinder, one inch in diameter, is made up of two tubes. The company used equipment it had developed to deposit CIGS on the outside of the inner tube, which includes up to 200 CIGS cells. On top of the CIGS material, it added an "optical coupling agent", which concentrates the sunlight that shines through the outer tube. After inserting the inner tube into the outer tube, each cylinder is sealed with glass and metal to keep out moisture, which erodes CIGS's performance. The hermetic sealing technology is commonly used in fluorescent lamp
s.
When combined with a white roof (the fastest growing segment of the commercial roof industry with over 1 billion square feet installed in 2008 and required for any new commercial construction in California), the company claimed that systems that employ the panels on a given rooftop could produce significantly more electricity in a given year. With a white roof, the panels can capture up to 20% more light than with a black roof.
The other advantage claimed by the company was that the panels did not have to move to track the Sun
. The panels are always presenting some of their face directly perpendicular to the Sun. The daily production of flat solar panels has an output curve that has a clear peak while Solyndra claimed their system produced more power throughout the day.
The Solyndra panels allow wind to blow through them. According to the company, these factors enable the installation of PV on a broader range of rooftops without anchoring
or ballast
, which are inherently problematic. Solyndra claimed that wind and snow loads are negligible and that its panels are lighter in weight per area.
The company claimed the cells themselves convert 12 to 14 percent of sunlight
into electricity
, an efficiency better than competing CIGS thin-film technologies. However, these efficiencies are for the cells laid flat. The company did not post any numbers about performance when the cells are rolled up. The Solyndra 100/200 spec sheet doesn't mention the cells or the panel efficiencies directly. However, calculating from the data provided shows the high-end 210 panel has a field efficiency of about 8.5%.
In 2006, Solyndra began deploying demonstration systems around the world. The company stated the total count was 14 systems and that these systems were each instrumented with highly sensitive radiation
, wind speed, temperate and humidity
measurement devices to aid in the development of energy yield forecasting software tools, claiming there were more than 1000 Solyndra systems installed around the world and that they shipped its 100th megawatt of panels in March 2011.
Major investors included George Kaiser
Family Foundation, U.S. Venture Partners
, CMEA Ventures, Redpoint Ventures
, Virgin Green Fund
, Madrone Capital Partners, RockPort Capital Partners, Argonaut Private Equity, Masdar
and Artis Capital Management.
In 2009, the company posted $100 million in revenue. It was estimated that its production and sales growth could lead to a market cap between $1.76 - 2 billion dollars. 2010 revenues were approximately $140 million.
Other executives include Bill Stover, CFO; Karen Alter, SVP of Marketing; Corby Whitaker, VP, Sales United States; John Gaffney, Corporate Counsel; and Ben Bierman, EVP Operations and Engineering.
made a "conditional commitment" to a $535 million loan guarantee to support Solyndra's construction of a commercial-scale manufacturing plant for its proprietary solar photovoltaic panels. The White House scheduled a press event for September 4 and federal reviewers gave final approval on September 2. After securing the loan guarantee, the Federal Financing Bank, a part of the Department of the Treasury, loaned Solyndra the money on September 4.
Solyndra also received a $25.1 million tax break from California's Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority.
by low-cost producers such as Suntech and Yingli
offering stiff competition.
On 20 March 2009 Solyndra estimated that:
On 3 November 2010 Solyndra said it would lay off around 40 employees and not renew contracts for about 150 temporary workers as a result of the consolidation.
On 31 August 2011 Solyndra announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, laying off 1100 employees, and shutting down all operations and manufacturing, while providing no severance for the fired employees, or even providing back due vacation day credit.
On 8 September 2011, Solyndra was raided by the FBI investigating the company.
On Thursday, 13 October 2011, bankruptcy court approved the hiring of the chief restructuring officer Todd Neilson, who also served as the bankruptcy trustee for boxer Mike Tyson
.
Copper indium gallium selenide
Copper indium gallium selenide is a I-III-VI2 semiconductor material composed of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium. The material is a solid solution of copper indium selenide and copper gallium selenide...
thin-film solar cells based in Fremont, California
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
. Although the company was once touted for its unusual technology, plummeting silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
prices led to the company being unable to compete with more conventional solar panels. On September 1, 2011, the company ceased all business activity, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, and laid off all employees. The company is also being sued by employees who were abruptly laid off.
Technology
Solyndra designed, manufactured and sold solar photovoltaic (PV) systems composed of panels and mounting hardware for large, low-slope commercial rooftops. The panels perform optimally when mounted horizontally and packed closely together, thereby, the company claimed, covering significantly more of the typically available roof area and producing more electricity per rooftop on an annual basis than a conventional panel installation.The solar panels developed by the company were claimed to be unlike any other product ever tried in the industry. The panels were made of racks of cylindrical tubes (also called tubular solar panels), as opposed to traditional flat panels. Solyndra rolled its copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) thin films into a cylindrical shape and placed 40 of them in each 1-meter-by-2-meter panel. The cylindrical solar panels can absorb energy from any direction (direct, indirect, and reflected light).
Each Solyndra cylinder, one inch in diameter, is made up of two tubes. The company used equipment it had developed to deposit CIGS on the outside of the inner tube, which includes up to 200 CIGS cells. On top of the CIGS material, it added an "optical coupling agent", which concentrates the sunlight that shines through the outer tube. After inserting the inner tube into the outer tube, each cylinder is sealed with glass and metal to keep out moisture, which erodes CIGS's performance. The hermetic sealing technology is commonly used in fluorescent lamp
Fluorescent lamp
A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluoresce, producing visible light. A fluorescent lamp converts electrical power into useful...
s.
When combined with a white roof (the fastest growing segment of the commercial roof industry with over 1 billion square feet installed in 2008 and required for any new commercial construction in California), the company claimed that systems that employ the panels on a given rooftop could produce significantly more electricity in a given year. With a white roof, the panels can capture up to 20% more light than with a black roof.
The other advantage claimed by the company was that the panels did not have to move to track the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
. The panels are always presenting some of their face directly perpendicular to the Sun. The daily production of flat solar panels has an output curve that has a clear peak while Solyndra claimed their system produced more power throughout the day.
The Solyndra panels allow wind to blow through them. According to the company, these factors enable the installation of PV on a broader range of rooftops without anchoring
Anchoring
Anchoring or focalism is a cognitive bias that describes the common human tendency to rely too heavily, or "anchor," on one trait or piece of information when making decisions.-Background:...
or ballast
Ballast
-Objects:* Ballast tank, a device used on ships and submarines and other submersibles to control buoyancy and stability* Ballast weights, metallic plates used to bring auto racing vehicles up to the minimum mandated weight...
, which are inherently problematic. Solyndra claimed that wind and snow loads are negligible and that its panels are lighter in weight per area.
The company claimed the cells themselves convert 12 to 14 percent of sunlight
Sunlight
Sunlight, in the broad sense, is the total frequency spectrum of electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. On Earth, sunlight is filtered through the Earth's atmosphere, and solar radiation is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon.When the direct solar radiation is not blocked...
into electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
, an efficiency better than competing CIGS thin-film technologies. However, these efficiencies are for the cells laid flat. The company did not post any numbers about performance when the cells are rolled up. The Solyndra 100/200 spec sheet doesn't mention the cells or the panel efficiencies directly. However, calculating from the data provided shows the high-end 210 panel has a field efficiency of about 8.5%.
In 2006, Solyndra began deploying demonstration systems around the world. The company stated the total count was 14 systems and that these systems were each instrumented with highly sensitive radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
, wind speed, temperate and humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
measurement devices to aid in the development of energy yield forecasting software tools, claiming there were more than 1000 Solyndra systems installed around the world and that they shipped its 100th megawatt of panels in March 2011.
Management and investors
Solyndra was led by Brian Harrison, a veteran of Intel Corporation. He took the reins on July 27, 2010 when founder Chris Gronet was replaces as CEO.Major investors included George Kaiser
George Kaiser
George B. Kaiser is an American businessman. He is the Chairman of BOK Financial Corporation. He is among the top 100 richest people in the world and one of the top 50 American philanthropists.-Early life and career:...
Family Foundation, U.S. Venture Partners
U.S. Venture Partners
U.S. Venture Partners , is a venture capital investment firm headquartered on Sand Hill Road in Silicon Valley focusing on investments in an array of segments including semiconductors, software as a service, communications, storage, wireless, Internet 2.0, Cleantech, Medical devices and...
, CMEA Ventures, Redpoint Ventures
Redpoint Ventures
Redpoint Ventures is a prominent venture capital firm focused on investments in early stage technology companies. The firm's partners include Allen Beasley, Jeff Brody, Satish Dharmaraj, Tom Dyal, Tim Haley, Brad Jones, Nety Krishna, Chris Moore, Lars Pedersen, Scott Raney, John Walecka, Geoff...
, Virgin Green Fund
Virgin Green Fund
Virgin Green Fund has been established to invest in companies in the renewable energy and resource efficiency sectors in the US and Europe.- Investment opportunities :...
, Madrone Capital Partners, RockPort Capital Partners, Argonaut Private Equity, Masdar
Masdar
Masdar may refer to:*the Arabic verbal noun*Masdar City, Masdar, planned city in Abu Dhabi*Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, a university in Abu Dhabi*Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company...
and Artis Capital Management.
In 2009, the company posted $100 million in revenue. It was estimated that its production and sales growth could lead to a market cap between $1.76 - 2 billion dollars. 2010 revenues were approximately $140 million.
Other executives include Bill Stover, CFO; Karen Alter, SVP of Marketing; Corby Whitaker, VP, Sales United States; John Gaffney, Corporate Counsel; and Ben Bierman, EVP Operations and Engineering.
Government support
On March 20, 2009, the United States Department of EnergyUnited States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
made a "conditional commitment" to a $535 million loan guarantee to support Solyndra's construction of a commercial-scale manufacturing plant for its proprietary solar photovoltaic panels. The White House scheduled a press event for September 4 and federal reviewers gave final approval on September 2. After securing the loan guarantee, the Federal Financing Bank, a part of the Department of the Treasury, loaned Solyndra the money on September 4.
Solyndra also received a $25.1 million tax break from California's Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority.
Production
The company manufactured its products in its second fab, Fab 2, a new $733 million state-of-the-art robotic facility in Fremont, California which opened in September 2010. Fab 2 was built with the support of a $535 million federal loan guarantee along with at least $198 million from private investors. According to an initial public offering by the company, the combined annual production capacity of the plants was projected to be 610 megawatts by 2013. After expanding production in 2008, the company announced on November 3, 2010 that it was mothballing its older plant, Fab 1, and postponing expansion of recently opened Fab 2, giving it an annual production capacity of about 300 megawatts. Market conditions were cited, with conventional solar modules manufactured in ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
by low-cost producers such as Suntech and Yingli
Yingli
Yingli also known as Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited , which holds the brand Yingli Solar, is a solar energy company and one of the largest vertically integrated manufacturers of photovoltaic solar modules...
offering stiff competition.
On 20 March 2009 Solyndra estimated that:
- The construction of this complex would employ approximately 3,000 people.
- The operation of the facility would create over 1,000 jobs in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. - The installation of these panels would create hundreds of additional jobs in the United States.
- The commercialization of this technology was expected to then be duplicated in multiple other manufacturing facilities
On 3 November 2010 Solyndra said it would lay off around 40 employees and not renew contracts for about 150 temporary workers as a result of the consolidation.
Shutdown and investigation
In June 2011, Time reporter Michael Grunwald claimed that "reports of Solyndra’s death have been greatly exaggerated," a play on Mark Twain's quote, "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."On 31 August 2011 Solyndra announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, laying off 1100 employees, and shutting down all operations and manufacturing, while providing no severance for the fired employees, or even providing back due vacation day credit.
On 8 September 2011, Solyndra was raided by the FBI investigating the company.
On Thursday, 13 October 2011, bankruptcy court approved the hiring of the chief restructuring officer Todd Neilson, who also served as the bankruptcy trustee for boxer Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
.