MIDLAND, MI -- Less than five years after its solar roofing shingles first hit the U.S. market, the Dow Chemical Co. has decided to stop manufacturing its Powerhouse modules at its Midland plant.

According to a letter being sent to builders dated June 28, Dow is going to accept orders for its "Powerhouse Solar System 2.0" through July 28. All shipments will be made by Aug. 10, according to the letter. All warranties on existing systems remain in effect.

"We will work with you to determine the path forward to meet your product needs during this period," reads the letter, which was signed by Craig Brown, global business director for Dow Solar products and services.

In an email to The Bay City Times/ MLive.com, Jamie Ellis, a spokeswoman for Dow, confirmed the decision, saying it aligns with the company's strategy following its acquisition of Dow Corning.

"Dow has announced it will transition its Powerhouse platform to a licensing business model, with a focus on driving growth in the global photovoltaic market," Ellis said.

"Dow will retain the technology expertise for the platform, and will leverage Dow Corning's experience and expertise in solar market applications, cost structure and market outlook to identify valuable global photovoltaic market opportunities for these technologies," she added.

The news comes the same day that Dow announced it was cutting 2,500 jobs globally, including about 700 in the Great Lakes Bay Region, after the chemical giant assumed full control of Dow Corning Corp. and ahead of its planned mega-merger with DuPont. The total number of affected positions represents about 4 percent of the company's workforce.

A majority of positions in the Dow Solar business will be impacted by the restructuring, Ellis said. Dow Solar employs about 130 peoplel in Midland and in Milpitas, California.

Dow's Powerhouse Solar Shingle launched in the U.S. in October 2011 with great fanfare.

Former auto factory workers were re-trained at Delta College to learn a new, high-tech trade to manufacture the shingles. Dow built a new plant on Poseyville Road near Smithfield Park in Midland where production started in 2012. A net-zero energy home in Midland was built to show off the shiny roof shingles to the public. And HGTV featured the shingles as an "attractive option in solar power."

In 2011, Dow CEO Andrew Liveris said the solar shingle is "integral to Dow's transformation, and a key part of its strategy to invent and innovate new technologies."

Last year, Dow introduced its new Powerhouse Solar System 2.0 in select U.S. markets. The latest iteration of the solar shingle featured an increased power density, better appearance and an easier installation, according to company officials.

Homebuilders across the country have praised Dow and the solar shingle technology, including Hugh Fisher, founder and president of h.a. Fisher Homes. The Rhode Island-based builder signed a five-year contract with Dow last year for a more than 200-home subdivision where many of the houses would feature the solar shingles.

"This is absolutely news to me," said Fisher when asked if he had received the letter from Dow about its decision to stop manufacturing the shingles. "We had guys install a system yesterday. And we're breaking ground on a condo section where the shingles will be on all of the condos."

In 2011, Dow was manufacturing about 400 solar shingles per day. Ellis declined to disclose its capacity at its manufacturing facilities today.