There have been brief mentions of Solyndra's products during the firestorm over the bankruptcy, FBI raids, and ensuing investigations. One thing that I thought I had heard about their solar cells sparked a memory of Obama regime past, so today I took a look at Solyndra's website, which is still up, to see if my recollections were correct. Turns out, they were.
Solyndra's technology used cylindrical solar cell modules, sort of like florescent tubes that collect instead of shine, that allow for the absorbtion of both direct and indirect - i.e. reflected - sunlight. That actually sounds like a pretty good idea, especially when one considers that solar cells perform best when they can be steered to face directly at the sun. A cell that can capture reflected light would in theory reduce the complexity of a solar power installation since a reflector could take the place of a more expensive and likely less reliable mechanical steering mechanism.
But...what does one use as a reflector? Solyndra covered that too: "Cool and Powerful Commercial Roofs".
Building owners around the world are discovering the benefits of combining the power generation capabilities of a Solyndra solar power system with the energy conservation benefits of a white "cool roof". Solyndra's unique cylindrical solar modules are designed to capture additional refracted light from white roofs to raise the overall amount of electricity generated by the system.Aha! Now for the memory of previous dark days of the Obama administration, a Fox News piece from May 28, 2009 where Energy Secretary Steven Chu "stunned the audience at a London scientific conference" by championing a new way of combating global warming: paint every roof white.
Solyndra had received its $535 million loan guarantee from Chu's Department of Energy two months before on March 20.
Smoking gun, no. Further vidence that the Obama regime tries to stack the deck for their preferred winners? I say yes.
Good catch -theCork
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