(MI) The Detroit News – The once bright forecast for Michigan’s solar industry has turned hazy. The credit crunch has dulled demand for solar products with many buyers unable to secure financing to complete their orders. And the sluggish market has stunted the growth of this fledgling renewable energy industry, causing some Michigan solar companies that make equipment for turning sunlight into electricity to trim workers, cut back on production and apply the brakes to aggressive expansions.
Energy Conversion Devices, whose solar division, United Solar Ovonic, makes thin-film cells and laminates used in rooftop construction, is feeling the fallout, with inventory piling up and workers at its Michigan plants in Auburn Hills and Greenville on a three- to four-week furlough. More