DOE offered a $535 million loan guarantee to Solyndra, Inc. on March 20 to support the construction of a commercial-scale manufacturing plant for its proprietary solar photovoltaic panels, which consist of arrays of glass tubes. The loan guarantee will be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provides billions of dollars in loan guarantee authority to build a new green energy economy.

As the first to be offered through the DOE Loan Guarantee Program, the loan guarantee was offered as a "conditional commitment," which requires Solyndra to meet an equity commitment, as well as other conditions, before the loan guarantee is closed. The situation is similar to that of a homebuyer earning approval on a loan, but still having to meet certain conditions before closing.

Solyndra's proprietary solar panel design transforms glass tubes into easy-to-install, inexpensive, high-performance solar panels, which can be installed on low-slope commercial, industrial, and institutional rooftops. Solyndra deposits thin films of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), a photovoltaic material, on the inner surface of glass tubes, which are then hermetically sealed on both ends with a metal caps. The glass tubes are then assembled into large, flat solar panels. The cylindrical design enables the CIGS material to capture direct, diffuse, and reflected sunlight, allowing the panels to be mounted flat and close together. This makes greater use of the rooftop area than a traditional flat solar panel, which is typically mounted in racks that tilt the panels toward the sun. The design also allows air to flow through the panels, keeping the operating temperature down and reducing wind loads, which in turn makes installation easier.

Read the DOE press release

Read Solyndra’s release

More on the Load Guarantee Program