BAAR, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Solyndra International AG, a subsidiary of Solyndra LLC, which manufactures cylindrical photovoltaic (PV) systems for large commercial rooftops, today announced that SunSwitch, a Certified Solyndra Solution Provider, has completed a 205kWp rooftop solar system installation on the rooftop of the Pfizer Global Supply site in the Walloon region of Belgium. Pfizer Animal Health decided to add solar panels to its Louvain-la-Neuve site to contribute to renewable electricity production and lower the site’s carbon emissions. The installation is one of the largest in the Walloon region, and Pfizer Group’s largest photovoltaic (PV) installation to date.
“We are extremely satisfied with the outcome of this project,” said Jérôme Kervyn de Meerendré, CEO, SunSwitch. “The initial challenge we faced was that, due to the roof structure, we had to keep the roof load to a minimum. Solyndra’s lightweight panels enabled us to install the panels easily and quickly. With no roof penetration, there is no risk of leaks into the building from the solar panels.”
With a distributed load of just 13,9kg/m2, Solyndra panels are lightweight and self-ballasting, with no penetration or attachments required. This means they are simple to install on existing flat roofs, and minimize the load.
“More and more large corporations are seeing the benefits of Solyndra solar systems. Partnering with a leading multinational like Pfizer is a tribute to our technology,” said Clemens Jargon, president of Solyndra International AG. “This project, completed hand-in-hand with leading Belgian PV installer SunSwitch in just four weeks, provides an impressive 80% net photovoltaic roof coverage, resulting in a maximized power density and renewable energy production.”
The installation required a total of nearly 15,000m of cable and included 15 Refu inverters. The roof area of Pfizer’s plant is 3000m2, 2400m2 of which is covered by Solyndra panels. The 80% roof coverage increases energy generated by the roof, which will provide an annual yield of 171MWh, enough to power 38 households.
Pfizer estimates that it has reduced the cooling costs of its building by 5% due to the new white roofs. The Solyndra modules will generate enough electricity to reduce Pfizer’s annual CO2 emissions by 60 tons.
“We are delighted with the fast installation of the panels, and can see that they will make a significant contribution towards lowering our carbon emissions,” said Christian Borgniet, Site Manager at Pfizer Animal Health. “Our investment in clean, renewable energy through the Solyndra photovoltaic rooftop installation reinforces Pfizer’s strong commitment to the future for our colleagues, our community, and our environment.”
SunSwitch:
Pfizer Animal Health
About Solyndra:
Solyndra designs and manufactures solar photovoltaic systems, comprised of panels and mounts, for the large commercial rooftop market. Using proprietary cylindrical modules and thin-film technology, Solyndra systems are lightweight and non-penetrating, and the fastest and easiest to install solar panels for rooftop applications. This allows Solyndra to achieve the lowest system installation costs on a per watt basis for the commercial rooftop market. Solyndra manufactures its rooftop solar panels and unique greenhouse solar system in the United States and is headquartered in Fremont, California. www.solyndra.com
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