Current Summary

This project examines how the brownfield sites of abandoned automobile manufacturing plants might be reappropriated for the production of clean energy technologies. While the recent economic crisis has had significant negative impact on automobile manufacturing, the renewable energy industry is quickly emerging. Imminent threats of climate change, in addition to support from the H.R. 1 Recovery and Reinvestment Act, are helping to spur innovation and development of alternative energy sources. Solar, for example, will experience major growth in the near future; to enable this escalation, the industry will require a combination of policy, research, capital, labor, and facilities to accommodate such a demand.

The abandoned brownfield sites of previous GM plants provide ideal conditions for the manifestation of physical laboratories for companies in the photovoltaic domain to develop their products and conduct research. This project brings the emerging solar business to the greater Detroit area in order to create a new nexus for an industry that will be critical to the US’ future.