Schott Solar to Lay Off 30

Albuquerque, New Mexico — A spokesman for Schott Solar CSP Inc. said on Friday that the company would lay off 30 employees and temporarily shut down of its two concentrated solar power assembly lines.

Schott Solar is a division of German manufacturer Schott AG, well known in industry circles for creating glass components such as lenses. The facility in Albuquerque manufactures components for use in concentrated solar thermal power — where sunlight is focused to use its heat as energy — as well as traditional photo voltaic cells that turn sunlight directly into electricity.

While sales have been strong in the photo voltaic division, demand has sagged in concentrated solar, necessitating the layoffs.