Solyndra's Thin-Film Solar Cells Draw $1.2 Billion In Orders

SolarSells writes "Solyndra makes funky-looking cylindrical solar cells that resemble compact fluorescent lightbulbs. Their products are meant for office buildings, and are made from a thin coating of copper indium gallium diselenide on glass tubes. Although they might not be able to fill them till 2012, the company has already received $1.2 billion in orders. Their manufacturing tricks make the cells so cheap that they may be competitive with other forms of power even after solar subsidies are phased out."

Link?

[rufus t firefly]

Obligatory link [solyndra.com] to manufacturer.

Re:So what do they cost?

[jbeaupre]

In essence, solar costs about $.30/kwh. http://www.solarbuzz.com/SolarPrices.htm [solarbuzz.com] Location is important. Costs more in Germany, less in California. http://www.solarbuzz.com/statsCosts.htm [solarbuzz.com]. This competes against under $.10/kwh in the US for other sources. But there are variations around the world and even within the US http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/table5_6_a.html [doe.gov]

Re:Good

[OldeTimeGeek]

Yeah, it's not as though nuclear power [tradewatch.org] or oil [cato.org] or coal [nytimes.com] companies have come to the Congress with their hands held out, is it?

Re:Good

[Anonymous Coward]

Nope, it's just that solar and wind get an order of magnitude more subsidies, and a shitton less regulation.

Re:Glass tubes?

[solyndra08]

I work as a process engineer Solyndra, I don't know if it is right for me to comment on this or not, but fighting bogosity is my hobby. Of course we did hail tests, I was involved. We shot homemade hail iceball out of a painball gun at our panels and confirmed that they could survive. Our panels have already been through hailstorms around the world. No tube breaks due to hail.