Fremont California based Solyndra Inc. has developed a cylindrical solar cell made from a thin photovoltaic film encased in a glass tube that can capture up to 20% more solar energy then a traditional array by collecting light from a larger variety of angles and capturing diffused light. The new shape allows the panels to be laid flat on a roof rather then angled or fixed to a mount, allowing installation in days rather then weeks. Their installation directly onto the roof also means they can withstand up to 130 mile-per-hour winds with no reinforcement and require little in the way of maintenance. There is enough expansive roof space in the United States to power 16 million American homes with the new arrays, says Solyndra CEO Chris Gronet. To put that claim in perspective the same number of homes is today supplied by 38 traditional coal plants.
Facts and figures from Scientific American article "Cylindrical solar Cells Give a Whole New Meaning to Sunroof" by David Biello
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