Solyndra is supplying 100MW of its cylindrical solar panels to a subsidiary of energy-efficient roofing company Carlisle Construction Materials after signing a deal worth USD320m. Carlisle will install Solyndra’s photovoltaic cylinders on roofs equipped with Carlisle’s white roofing membrane. Because the membrane is reflective, Carlisle CEO John Altmeyer says the installation will increase the output of Solyndra’s system by up to 20%.

Carlisle’s roofing membranes are designed to reflect light and heat away from roofs. The system helps homeowners reduce air conditioning costs while keeping their homes cool. Conventional solar systems are not appropriate for Carlisle’s roofs because the solar panels lie flat, covering the reflective membrane. However, Solyndra’s solar tubes are spaced out in such a way that light reflects off the membrane and air passes underneath the tubes.

Solyndra, based in Fremont, California, emerged from stealth mode at the beginning of October claiming it had raised USD600m. Later that month it signed a USD250m deal with German solar installer GeckoLogic to supply cylindrical solar modules for commercial rooftops in Germany. The firm’s photovoltaic tubes are lined on the inside with copper-indium-gallium-selenide thin-film cells.