Awaiting Abound Solar’s efficiency play

Solar power is considered a clean-energy source, but there has sure has been a lot of dirty laundry flying around the industry.

In late February, Northern Colorado’s own solar panel manufacturer, Abound Solar, announced it was halting production of its cadmium-telluride thin-film solar panels and laying off 180 full-time workers and another 100 temporary workers, a good deal of its staff. The move, the company said, will allow Abound to shift its manufacturing to a next-generation module with greater efficiency.

Based in Loveland and using technology developed at Colorado State University, Abound has been backed by $400 in federal loan guarantees from…