Solyandra, a california based solar panel company, has faced a lot of contravesy since August. 2011 when it claimed banckrupcy and abruptly laid off all off 1100 employees.

The employees were not  provided severence pay or a reimbursment of their owed vacation.

The company had created their business off of manufacturing thin silicone-free panels at a time when silicone prices had been at a record high. Unfortunely, when the prices of silicone deflated, the company could no longer compete with companies who sold more efficient panels at a better price.

The FBI bagan an investagation over the summer and the company has been sued by it’s employees for laying them off with little to no warning or compensation.

Solyandra was granted a $535 million dollar loan guarantee to stay affloat.

When asked why he thought that Solyndra was picked for the loan, this is what a  former employee had to say to CARE2.com:

“Solyndra had very innovative technology, with solar panels that were totally different from anything else on the market. Our panels were designed for large rooftops, and there was a significant niche in the market that would have enjoyed greater benefits from our panels than from others. Even though the cost of manufacturing Solyndra panels was higher than others, our panels were easier, faster and therefore cheaper to install. Also, Solyndra was one of the first to apply for a DOE loan. The process began under the Bush administration, leading to final approval under President Obama.”

“Three’s quite a bit of back and forth across the political aisle about Solyndra.” said Tim Warstall of Forbes.com. “Does throwing &500 million at a company that failed show that all government tech pump priming is a waste of money? From the other side, well, sure, some will fail but the program as a whole is going to deliver just great results”

Although Solyndra could not last on it’s own, I do not think that it says anything about renewable energy in general. Without the governments support, it will be much harder to switch over to renewable energy. It is a shame because it is so beneficial to our generation and the generations to come.

Check out this NBC News Coverage on Solyndra