The bankrupt solar company Solyndra Inc.
is auctioning off surplus assets this week as part of its
bankruptcy proceedings.
 
  Starting Wednesday, buyers can purchase the former solar
manufacturer's office microwave, artwork that once hung on its
walls and an array of heavy equipment and tools owned by the former
solar panel maker. The online auction ends Thursday at 5 p.m.

   The auction company Heritage Global Partners is calling the
event the "solar auction of the year." Because the company is
still up for sale, its facilities and major manufacturing equipment
will not be auctioned.

   "We're selling what's considered non-core, which means if a
buyer bought Solyndra after the auction they could still operate
without this equipment," said Ross Dove, managing partner with
Heritage.

   Solyndra, which received a $528 million federal loan guarantee
and was touted by President Barack Obama as an example of his
emphasis on so-called "green jobs," filed for bankruptcy in
September and laid off 1,000 workers. The company has become a
talking point for congressional Republicans opposed to government
investments in clean energy.

   Dove said there was so much interest in looking at the auction
lots, the website went down temporarily Monday. That said, Dove
said everything would be ready by auction time on Wednesday.
 
  "The same thing happened when we did Enron too," said Dove.