SolarCity builds high-efficiency solar panels
Solar panel installer Daniel Morabito, left, and Sal Sanchez install thin film technology solar panels for SolarCity in West Los Angeles in 2009.
Rooftop solar giant SolarCity announced Friday that it has built a high-efficiency panel that the company says will generate more power per square foot and harvest more energy than any other on the market.
The San Mateo, Calif., company will begin producing the first modules in small quantities this month at its pilot facility, but the majority of the new solar panels will ultimately be made at the company’s major facility in Buffalo, N.Y.
SolarCity expects to be producing 9,000 to 10,000 solar panels each day with similar efficiency when the Buffalo facility reaches full capacity.
SolarCity, which operates in 19 states, initially expects to install the new solar panel on rooftops and carports for homes, businesses, schools and other organizations. The company also plans for the panel to be used for utility-scale solar fields and other large-scale, ground-level installations.
Founded in 2006, SolarCity has grown to become America’s largest solar provider with more than 10,000 employees.
ivan.penn@latimes.com
Twitter: @ivanlpenn
