Hazards of Sun-Worshiping

First Solar, a U.S.-based company that is the world's largest maker of solar thin-film panels, saw its stock hit a record low on April 27. The stock is down 87 percent in the past 12 months. Its thin-film cells compete against more traditional polysilicon-based solar. But with polysilicon prices crashing, First Solar is getting crushed, despite manufacturing cutbacks and laying off workers.