Solar Energy Stocks

ENER, Was It A Dream Or a Nightmare?

2008-10-23T18:41:00.001-07:00

Wow, when I first dabbled in Energy Conversion Devices (ENER) the stock was channeling between $24 and $33. I was out of the stock when it exploded on a short squeeze back in early May. I did not chase it but watched with amazement as it touched $80 a share.

Now we see the stock has backed down to the low 30's again. I'm not in Solar at the moment. I am into GLD and some smaller stocks like KITD.ob and some of the second tier search marketing stocks. MIVA is one, trading below cash and ready to be eaten by someone like AOL or even IAC.

I bought some YHOO at $12.10 and hold VCLK right at their cash value. When this mess is all said and done those trading at or under their enterprise value will rise the fastest.

One man's opinion anyway!

Pickens Plan

2008-07-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

Find more videos like this on PickensPlan

AMSC Explodes On China Order

2008-06-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

I pointed to AMSC the other day when it was sitting near $36. Yesterday the stock gained nearly 25% intraday settling at $42.50.

The stock responded to a $450. mil. order from Sinovel Wind Corp. Perfect setting to fry shorts who represent 26% of the float.

This morning we get this;
Am Superconductor AMSC RBC Capital Mkts Underperform
Am Superconductor AMSC Jefferies & Co Hold

As well call options activity has been described as follows;
DAILY OPTION$ NEWS
American Superconductor
Symbol:AMSC
Price:43.11
(the July 50 calls (QAYGJ) traded 1393 contracts vs. 0 previous open interest)

Perfect tug of war as option traders are signalling they see it higher while RBC and Jefferies attempts to protect their hedged friends.
More orders squash the shorts.

I have a very small position at the moment. I'm expecting some major swings north and south here.

UPDATE: Shorts getting more help---Strong wording here;

"Citron Research issues another negative piece on American Superconductor Corporation (Nasdaq: AMSC), calling the recent announcement of a $450 million contract to provide core electrical components for Sinovel's wind turbines "lunacy."Citron compares the order to the recent announcement by T. Boone Pickens to build a farm for 4,000 megawatts (4 Gw) that is planned in 4 phases for ultimate completion in 2014. Citron said, "Now we are supposed to believe that American Superconductor just received an order for 10 Gw to be delivered by 2011. That is 2 times the size of the Pickens project in a time span that is half the time. Yet, nowhere in any language do we see an order awarded to Sinovel that would support anything close to this."

"MrJoeMaster" counterpunches!
Read Barron's opinion on American Superconductor here!

,

Brightcove IPO Soon? Goldman Sachs As The Lead

2008-06-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

This has nothing to do with alternative energy but lots to do with a stock I own and follow closely, KIT Digital (KITD.ob).

Competitor and arguably industry leader Brightcove, (funded to $89m says Techcrunch) is rumored to be working with Goldman Sachs as IPO lead.

KIT digital (KITD.ob) CEO Kaleil Tuzman echos the rumor in a newsletter. Chatter from the bowels of Yahoo! Finance message boards offers this.

Poster Digimediastar offered yesterday this:

"Word on the street is that Brightcove is going public with Goldman as the lead. I think this harbors well for KITD in terms of category multiple, because I bet Brightcove gets a nosebleed valuation.
Also, consolidation in this industry is getting real...NRWS/ONSM...JTV/Neulion... "

KIT Digital CEO Kaleil Tuzman today offered in a letter to shareholders and colleagues the following as part of his inspiring message;

"With the IP-enabled video industry consolidating rapidly (in the last 3 months alone, Yahoo! has acquired Maven, OnStream Media announced the acquisition of Narrowstep, and JumpTV has merged with Neulion), we have been growing rapidly, and feel we are well-positioned as the only truly globally-focused player (our revenues are over 85% outside of North America) with both mobile and online distribution capability.
The highest profile player in our industry, Brightcove, is rumored to be working on a large IPO with Goldman Sachs, which we believe will lead to increased, positive focus on our industry. We think KIT digital will compare positively in terms of relative valuation, quality of revenues, revenue mix, and technical capabilities. At KIT digital's current $23 million market capitalization (fully diluted for the recent financing shares currently being registered with the SEC) we think we are deeply undervalued, from both fundamental and relative perspectives--and are excited about the ride ahead."

This would be a positive for KIT Digital as suggested by the CEO. It would also be a positive for the investors who are in deep, some say as deep as $80 million.

Keep your eyes on news from Brightcove and any washover towards KITD.

*There is nothing on Google web or blog search or any other major search engine talking about this at the moment. Take it for what it's worth.

Disclaimer, I own shares of KITD.ob. All disclaimers hold here. Please do your own research.

Forecasting Gail Winds With AMSC, CPTC

2008-06-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

No real stock updates lately though I have been active in the market. Stocks I am looking at include American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) and Clayton Williams Energy Inc.(CWEI). I bought CWEI at $94.40 and sold at $99.15 but missed the run on Friday 6/6 to $106.
Who knew oil would run up $10 in one day.
AMSC is a wind play like Composite Tech Corp (CPTC).

Compare the two for yourself. AMSC has a decent following on Yahoo! Finance with a few very knowledgeable posters.

Stocks I am either actively trading or holding include KITD.ob, GOFH.ob, GA, NCTY, LOOK, MIVA, Q's, WWAT.ob.

CNBC Portfolio Challenge Update

2008-05-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

Update 6/2: Moved up to 1,544th place week ended May 30.
Portfolio starting the week of June 2 getting hammered by the down market.

I started strong using only four stocks, all solar plays. My placing has steadily dropped from a high of 235th place in week two to 4,925th place currently. I understand there are more than 500,000 portfolio's in play so a top 1% ranking isn't that bad.

The "trading" aspect of this competition is clunky. You place a trade and it is readjusted after market close, I think......

Honestly I have not read the fine print.

$1.140M
Total Portfolio Value*
Top 0.7%
Game Rank*
4925th
Game Rank Position*
3,606 (0.3%)

My current stocks and allocation are as follows;

Current Holdings as of 5/24/08 at 1:09pm EST

Shares Held
% of Portfolioas of 5/23/08 at 4pm EST
MTZ
MasTec Inc
25%
WFR
MEMC Electronic Materials...
9%
WGOV
Woodward Governor Co
12%
SPWR
SunPower Corp
18%
SOLF
Solarfun Power Holdings...
9%
GA
Giant Interactive Group Inc
24%

Portfolio Value*
$1.140M

Wind Power Bedtime Reading

2008-05-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

The Environment section of The Guardian offers a comprehensive view of the alternative energy needs of the UK.

Today in their Wind Power Blog I found some interesting stats regarding renewable energy targets;

"Britain must step up its construction of offshore wind farms if it is to meet its target of producing 15% of energy needs from renewable sources, the chief executive of a leading utility said yesterday.
At the present rate, Britain is on course to produce between 5% and 7% of its energy from renewables, Scottish and Southern Energy's Ian Marchant said.
"The solution is to explore offshore wind. To meet the target we are going to need 25 gigawatts of offshore wind power."
Industry experts calculate that, to meet the 15% target, Britain would need to generate around 35% to 40% of its electricity from renewables, with much of that coming from wind farms.
Last week, SSE signed a lease with the Crown Estate to build a £1.3bn wind farm at Greater Gabbard, 26 kilometres off the Suffolk coast, which will be the country's largest. It will have generating capacity of 504 megawatts - half the output of an average coal-fired station. Due to be operational by 2011, it will produce enough electricity to power 415,000 homes .
Marchant said the UK needed to build four wind farms a year the size of Greater Gabbard to meet the renewables target..... more "

International demand combined with US domestic needs will impact suppliers large and small. Much of my time studying stocks will be dedicated to searching out the best stock plays in the wind power sector.
So move over solar, make room for your favorite first cousin.

Wind: Composite Technology Corp (CPTC.ob)

2008-05-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Everyone from Boone Pickens to Jim Cramer is pushing Wind generated power of late. Cramer offers a couple of plays and Pickens is buying turbines from G.E..

I'm looking at Composite Tech Corp (CPTC.ob). CPTC.ob is a two pronged power play, power cables and wind turbines.

I read over the 8-K filing today and came away frankly blown away by what I read.
I suggest anyone interested in looking for a spec wind play read page three of the filing.

DeWind is the name of their wind entity and that is what draws me to the stock.

They have a few vociferous fans that offer insights on occasion.

I bought some today and yesterday average .98.

As always, take a look at the chart and draw your own conclusions.

Please read the disclaimers on the sidebar and footer of this blog. The information posted here is not to be taken as investment or stock trading advice.

Solar Stocks & The CNBC Investment Challenge

2008-05-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day trades count in the CNBC's Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge .
I have 5 portfolios entered. One is a pure solar play and today we turned $1,000,000 into $1,000,064.00, or a one day gain of 6.4% on four solar stocks.

$1.065M Total Portfolio Value*

Top 0.2% Game Rank*

1278th Game Rank Position*

64,001 (6.4%) Gain/Loss, Intraday

65,001 (6.5%) Gain/Loss, Weekly*

65,001 (6.5%) Gain/Loss, Overall*

*As of 5/13/08 at 4pm EST.

My solar portfolio contained 4 stocks.

Energy Conversion... (ENER)

MEMC Electronic Materials... (WFR)

SunPower Corp (SPWR)

Solarfun Power Holdings... (SOLF)

Performance of the other portfolio's.

Portfolio 2 + 2.5%
Portfolio 3 + 2.2%
Portfolio 4 + 3.0%
Portfolio 5 + 4.1%

Naked Short List Sprinkled With Solar Stocks

2008-05-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

The practice of naked shorting is corrupt at its core. The idea "traders" can trade on stock that does not exist is ludicrous. It's wrong and should be illegal.

Investors have an ally to assist them in taking advantage of stocks victimized by the corrupt practice of naked shorting.

Buyins.net maintains a comprehensive list of naked shorted stocks. Each day they update the list with qualifying stocks. Buyins.net allows visitors to view their list of stocks about to come OFF the naked short list.

Traders and investors can use the "buy-in imminent" list to their advantage. Buyins invites visitors to sign up to view their list of stocks expected to come off the list. What they call "Squeeze Trigger Data".

There are a few solar stocks on the "imminent buyin" list at the moment. The list includes;

LDK
HOKU
CSIQ
SOLF

I have no idea how close the stocks above are to coming off the list or where their squeeze trigger point is. I am not a member of Buyins.net. My approach is to take small positions on stocks on the list I like and wait for the stocks to come off.

Another stock posted on recently is KIT Digital, (RGRP.ob) doubled within a couple of days of being off the list before settling back. Obviously not every stock coming off the list experiences a similar performance.

Disclosure- I am not affiliated with Buyins.net and receive no compensation for posting links to their site.
All information contained above is for interest only and not intended as investment advice.

.

CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge

2008-05-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

I'm entered the CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge.

Starts Monday May 12
You get up to five seperate portfolio's and at least one of mine will be comprised of solar plays.

This guy is on it.

ENER Explodes, Will It Hold

2008-05-09T05:27:00.000-07:00

My heart sank when I saw the ticker flash by and ENER was up 30% pre-market yesterday. I sank because I took my eye off the prize and was not holding even though I watched the story develop.

The stock was responding to to a great quarterly report that saw the company break into the black.
Energy Conversion Device is shorted heavily and those unbelievers were trapped beautifully.

Will these gains hold?

According to NASDAQ short interest is 10 million shares against an outstanding share count of 40 million = 25%.
However, institutions own 70% of those 40 million. That ratio leaves very few shares in the hands of individual shareholders. Against this great report this is the perfect recipe for an extended short squeeze.

Sadly I don't own the stock at the moment. I am viewing the carnage as a spectator. I get the sense of how the Romans viewed the action in the Coliseum.

Congratulations to the longs!

KIT Digital (RGRP.ob) Up 90% Since Mentioned

2008-04-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

When I wrote about KIT Digital Inc on April 19 the stock was sitting at .25 per share. Today the stock approached .50 on strong volume. Even at .40 the market cap is a mere $20 million, (based on 40 mil. shares outstanding). The company has near $10 mil. cash and revenues ending 07 was 13.94 mil. (per Yahoo! )
Refer to the previous post for additional details.

The stock is discussed here.

Roo Group, KIT Digital (RGRP.OB)

2008-04-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

I love the solar sector and spend hours per week trying to find the best solar stocks for my portfolio but I am not confined to investing in only one sector.

For the past few months I've followed closely the emerging online video and IPTV sector. The granddaddy of online video is Google's Youtube. Youtube is a destination portal, hosting user generated content and encouraging sharing, embedding and commenting.

Youtube lacks proprietary content deals with music artists, TV networks, movie producers or major brands. An example of a video player platform of that hosts proprietary content is Hulu, owned by the tandem of NBC Universal and Fox/News Corp. Run over to Hulu and take a peak at the future of television as viewed on the web.

News Corp's Myspace is another IPTV heavyweight delivering video to MySpace registrants.

The next level of players include those who supply publishers (website owners) with online video solutions. The industry heavy here is privately held Brightcove. Brightcove is funded somewhere between $60 and $100 million according to Crunchbase. Brightcove serves the video needs hundreds of high traffic websites like The Street.com and The Wall Street Journal.com.

Notable as well is Move Networks funded to around $90 million. Move, Brightcove, Feedroom and a few others compete to get their video player on as many websites as they can. The player providers make money by sharing advertising fees with the website publishers as well as taking a license fee for use of the player.

Maven Networks, was recently acquired by Yahoo! for $160 million. This is where the fun begins for me.

The Saga of Roo Group

Roo was started in Australia and much of the brains and creative talent is still based there. Roo (now KIT Digital) is in the same class as Brightcove, Maven, Move and Feedroom. The company was tracking fine before April 2007 when they bought a small P2P software provider Wurld Media.
Wurld had problems unknown to the operators of Roo. The company began to fall apart as problems surrounding the merger overwhelmed management. Shareholders at the time had no idea what was happening behind the scenes but the rapidly falling share price should have been evidence something was very wrong.

In December the company introduced Kaleil Tuzman as the new CEO. Tuzman took the helm in early January. Tuzman cleaned house, pushing out the old team and introducing his own Board. Tuzman came from Canada based JumpTv and he brought some of his Jump chums with him to Roo.
What he inherited is a company with over 1,100 client sites that include most of News Corp's online newspaper sites worldwide. New York Post site is one example, others include The Australian and The Sun in the UK.
In addition they service music artist websites that include Amy Winehouse.

Roo ownership was a convoluted mess of intertwined partnerships and entities. To the outsider it looked like something an amateur would have thrown together. This has changed. Tuzman consolidated all the companies under one roof including assuming 51% interest in their web service subsidiary Sputnik Agency. Sputnik's Gavin Campion was promoted to President of the new named company KIT Digital Inc.

Tuzman moved the company headquarters to Dubai from New York to be closer to international clients. With arms in South America, Europe, the Middle East, Australasia and North America he is in a position to approach prospective clients worldwide. Indeed international adoption of online video dwarfs the rate of growth in the USA currently.

Within the first months under Tuzman's leadership the company has honed their ability to provide video on demand services through a partnership with Abacast. They signed an exclusive (as it pertains to KIT competitors) contract with Pando for P2P delivery.

On the acquisition front they have a LOI to purchase Swedish company Kamera bringing mobile distribution competencies to the company.

While the company is making a push for international clients they have not abandoned the US market. One of their new client wins is NASDAQ.com.

The Financials

With just under 40 million shares outstanding and approximately $10 million in cash, growing client base and a committed management team the company bears watching. Prospective shareholders should study all available material including a sobering 2007 annual report.
The company enjoys News Corp as a near 5% shareholder. News Corp is in line to gain another 2 million shares of the company in 2010 if certain revenue targets are met. Wellington Management has a stake in the company to the tune of 14% of outstanding shares at the time of this writing.

Intangibles, The Risk Reward Factor

The CEO is driven. An industry veteran with a full understanding of his market and the energy to meet the demands. His name is out front, he's surrounded himself with competent and talented personnel. The company is in a space that is demanding his services. In a recent conference call he mentioned a prospective client list of 150, all million dollar clients. They don't have to court small websites.

On one of his first calls in January Tuzman mentioned his desire to see the company listed on NASDAQ. He has insisted more than once publicly he expects profitability in 2008. Once he mentioned by Q4, another time claimed in Q4. Not bad in either case.

In two separate CC's I heard him refer to the Maven/Yahoo! deal. Both times he alluded to a similar potential for KIT, in time. Though he did not make a prediction the fact he has his eye on that valuation ($160 mil.) means to me this is his goal. Given the current market cap of approximately $10 million, with nearly $10 million in cash the company is trading at cash value as it sits at .25.

Do the math, if KIT Digital (RGRP.ob) can get to a $100 mil. valuation the share price would be $2.50, a ten bagger from the current level.

Stranger things have happened in the market.

Disclaimer- I own stock in RGRP and am therefore looking for the best case for the issue. That said this IS a risky investment and should be treated as such. This blog post is not intended as advice, nor should it be taken as advice. I am an individual investor looking to make a few bucks.
I have never met or talked to anyone in the company and am sure as hell not compensated for this effort.

The Problem With The Stock Market

2008-03-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

Believe it, elimination of the uptick rule!

Cramer explains it best.

What's Happening Here?

2008-03-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not posting lately to this blog and that is because I have been out of solars for the most part for the last month. I sold my OEGY.ob for a nice profit but I still hold my DSTIZ (DSTI warrants), adding more when I see dips like today.

I was playing Sun Power (SPWR) and MEMC (WFR) as they channeled but I'm too impatient at the moment to go there.

It's funny too that with oil blowing through the roof that the solars are tanking. Is the individual investor beaten down?

Traders are, you can see it on financial message boards like Yahoo! Finance and Investor Village. The volume of posts to those message boards is down. The boards on Yahoo! look like ghosts towns. The only inhabitants on some boards are the spammers pushing trading tutorial sites.

Kind of ironic to be spamming empty boards for traders that don't exist.

One oil expert offered today that oil is headed for $200. per barrel. My mental level for gasoline is $4.99 a gallon. Once it hits $5 per gallon I'm done driving. Alright I'll drive to the store, take the kids to the dentist and take care of errands but the Sunday drive to the lake and quick oversights to the coast will be a thing of the past.

I've been to most of the places I wanted to see, some multiple times. I'm not worried about myself. I worry about the kids, mine and yours.

My teens will most likely never see gasoline for under $3 a gallon.

Question for those smarter than me. What is the value in saving the oil reserves in Alaska? Liberals and environmental nitwits, and the politicians pandering to them are short sighted in my opinion.
Caribou don't give a damn if a few crews are drilling some holes in the ground. I can guarantee if they had reasoning capabilities they'd be a whole lot more concerned with the hunting parties organized on their behalf.

I don't get it. Drill the damn holes and start getting the crude flowing.

Meanwhile the solars are not impressive. I suppose some with cash in reserve are buying those with better fundamentals.

I'll wait before taking long positions outside of the couple I am stubbornly holding.

Motley Fool Likes Evergreen Solar (ESLR)

2008-01-31T08:09:00.000-08:00

The Fool's Toby Shute takes a favorable view of Evergreen Solar, (ESLR), citing their European operation as an indicator of the true health of the company. This one has been on my watch list though I don't own it. That may change.

"In late 2006, Evergreen's European joint venture, EverQ, got divvied up equally between its three principals. Silicon and wafer whiz REC took a bigger slice, while Evergreen relinquished its majority share in exchange for bounteous silicon. Accounting conventions dictate that minority interests below a certain threshold be reported as equity investments, so EverQ's results got pulled out of the top of the income statement and now appear toward the bottom as a simple gain or loss.

Why is this important? Well, for one, Evergreen's revenues look like they got sliced in half this year, which would be a disaster for the up-and-comer. Including the EverQ numbers, however, sales of Evergreen's String Ribbon solar products soared. EverQ, which has a bigger production capacity, topped Evergreen's revenues severalfold....Read the rest of the article here."

MEMC (WFR) CEO On Raw Material Supply

2008-01-27T09:04:00.000-08:00

MEMC CEO Nabeel Gareeb provided an interesting answer to a question from JMP Securities analyst Krishna Shankar in the recent earnings call.

Mr Shankar asked;

"what's your view point on you know what's the trend for poly demand supply or pricing if we see an acceleration and the deployment of these large scale solar plant using inference like say what first seller [ph] is doing versus solar panel being used by consumers on roof tops. What do you... how do you think that sort of trend in the market effect the demand supply environment for polysilicone."

Mr. Gareeb responded;

"I think... there are two separate things one is obviously, the thin film, the thin film I have always said is a viable alternate technology to crystalline solutions to making cells for PB applications. They have their set of issues obviously half the efficiency, warranty period hasn't been tested if you will. And I am sure it will do alright over time. And then there will be different form fit function factors that will affect that.

Now most of the thin film in the world people that are designing and building those up is based on amorphous silicon deposition techniques, which requires the use of silane gas which somebody talked about earlier and asked the question, and that material is in short supply as well. There is a fewer producers of silane gas in the world than there are poly producers. And so doing thin film through amorphous silicon defecation will not solve the supply problem its just going to go to a different pinch point. And so that's going to be interesting overtime.

And then obviously on this supply demand balance equation, I just look at the spot poly as the number of phone calls we get for poly request. As an indicator of, everybody says there is an over supply coming, there is an over supply coming, I look at the phone calls and I get the inverse impression, as a matter of fact even we get phone calls from people that are supposedly expanding poly and they are calling the bi poly, because perhaps their expansions aren't going on time. So you know, its all interesting data points and you have to take it with a grain of salt."

One question and one solid conclusion come from that question and answer. The question, what is silane gas and who produces it?

The conclusion, is there is a shortage of polysilicon.

Who makes silicon gas? One public company that produces it is REC, Renewable Energy Corporation, listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. The company trades in the US as REC.OL.

Take a look at how this stock has been punished! You have to ask yourself why?

Draw your own conclusions on the worthiness of REC as an investment, it seems to me after listening to MEMC's Gareeb that major silane gas producers deserve a hard look.

Demo on Demo on Silane Gas production from REC.

REC's Silane Gas Plant in Butte Montana.

I'll take a look at the poly producers in another post.

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)

2008-01-26T10:51:00.000-08:00

Seville Spain Solar Tower Plant

Image; Metaefficient

Built by Spain based Abengoa subsidiary Solucar Power Inc., this 11 megawatt Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) power plant is now serving electricity. A 20 megawatt plant is also being constructed near Granada by Solucar.

More info and images here.

Much talk at Davos Switzerland this week surrounding the numerous needs of third world countries. Singer Bono mentioned CSP's as an answer to the power needs of African countries. He's on it and he has the ear of Al Gore and Bill Gates. He's not far away from Billy G's wallet either.

Gates will be turning his attention full time to philanthropy later this year as he steps away from day to day duties at Microsoft. He's donated a ton of money for AIDS victims in Africa and providing renewable, clean energy seems a logical next step.

Who will get these contracts? Gates won't leave his business sense on his desk once he hits the trail. He's an American capitalist at heart despite his Davos "thin-air" inspired call for a newer, gentler form of capitalism.

Follow the money flow to these new plants. Who will supply the material and do the building.

More about solar power projects in Spain; Wikipedia

Masdar City, Abu Dhabi UAE

2008-01-26T07:38:00.000-08:00

Masdar City, Abu Dhabi's master planned "zero-carbon" community will be home to 47,500 people. News sources reporting from the World Future Energy Summit offer information about the project.

"A solar-photovoltaic power plant will deliver energy to buildings. Builders also envision using solar canopies that provide shade, as well as power.

No cars will be allowed in the city. People will get around through an electric light-rail system that will be linked to the center of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Masdar (which means "the source" in Arabic) will break ground on the six-square-kilometer city that its backers say will be the first zero-pollution, zero-waste city..."

Just how committed to alternative energy are the Emerites? Have a look at the Masdar Institute cooperative with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Masdar Real Estate

SunPower (SPWR) and MEMC (WFR)

2008-01-26T06:04:00.000-08:00

Friday was Sun Power Corporation (SPWR) day on Wall Street. I was busy around the house with either Fox Business News channel or CNBC on in the background and it seemed to me every hour or so someone on either channel mentioned SPWR as their top solar pick.

My short history with SPWR began when the stock was floating around the mid 80's a few months ago. I liked the idea a short squeeze was in the offing, bought a few shares and waited. Sure enough it blew over $100 and I sold. The stock skunked around between $85 and $105 for a few weeks before it made the run to $150.

I watched. The solars began getting punished with the rest of the market around December 17 and SunPower was no exception. The stock came back down to the mid 80's and I pounced, but a bit early. For those following the stock you witnessed further pummeling on a downgrade by a boutique brokerage from buy to hold emboldening the shorts, taking it down to the low 60's.

Ouch! So I doubled up, something that seldom works for me. A good story is a good story and earnings confirmed how good a story this company writing. Now my position is positive and I am willing to hold these shares and ride this wave through 2008.

Me against you shorty!

MEMC, (WFR) is a stock I identified earlier this fall and didn't pull the lever. I watched it run from near $40. to near $90. What a putz. Doid the research and then watched it run. :-(

Not anymore. When WFR bottomed last week I made up for the mistake of missing the previous run by buying $2 off the bottom.

Cheers to me!

First Solar Inc, (FSLR), Run Done?

2008-01-20T19:26:00.000-08:00

Subject: Tellurium & First Solar

Back on November 19, Seeking Alpha, warned a worldwide shortage of this extremely rare chemical element, and possible limited availability, may be cause for concern for holders of First Solar (FSLR).

From the article;

"Tellurium, the 52nd element, is extremely rare on earth, rarer even than platinum, the 78th element, according to Web Elements. Tellurium's crust abundance is 1 pbb versus 37 ppb for platinum (pbb is "parts per billion"). Tellurium is mainly produced as a byproduct from the anode slime accumulated during copper refining. But not all copper mines contain significant amounts of tellurium. Chile produces 1/3 of the world's copper but virtually no tellurium. According to USGS and Arizona State Geologist Lee Allison, the world produces anywhere from 160 to 215 metric tons of tellurium a year....

.....Strong demand has caused a severe shortage in recent years, and drove the price from below $4 a pound to over $100 in 2006, according to Lee Allison. Jack Lifton on Resource Investor suggested that investors could sense the shortage and start to hoard physical tellurium, adding fuel to the fire and causing a huge tellurium price run...where are they going to obtain all the new tellurium supplies needed for future expansion, at a price cheap enough to ensure profitability, and a quantity large enough to keep the new factories running? On Nov. 8, 2007, the CFO publicly commented that "we [FSLR] have identified a terawatt level of tellurium availability." He seemed to have no idea what he was talking about. One terrawatt is 1000 GW. Nowhere on earth does this amount of tellurium even exist underground, let alone available in a secret vault somewhere...."

Take a look at the stock performance since the article was first posted in mid November 2007!

Chart From Yahoo! Finance

Daystar, (DSTI) Next In Line For A Big Run?

2008-01-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

I have been in an out of DSTI hoping to time a big run. The stock began its run while I was napping in other stocks like LDK and CSUN. I now has an established, long term position in DSTI. This astute analysis of Daystar,(DSTI) explains the reasons to hold it.

"Currently I am looking at DayStar Technologies ( DSTI) . In my opinion this company falls into the buyout category. It is a small cap company with a specialty in "thin-film solar cell based upon the copper-indium-gallium-selenide semiconductor material system, known as CIGS".

DayStar Technologies is one of only three public traded companies considered to be a "thin film" company. Below is a quote from Jenny Chase, analyst for New Energy Finance.

"Jenny Chase, senior solar analyst for New Energy Finance advises that investors look among thin-film companies that are technology leaders in their field...publicly traded stocks are limited to First Solar, DayStar Technologies and Energy Conversion Devices."

So obviously I do not think that DayStar will see the price already attained by First Solar ( FSLR ), which is currently $267.14. But I do think that a company such as this may possibly make an offer for the company or form some sort of alliance that would be very beneficial to both companies.

While I do not expect DayStar to ever reach $250 per share, I do think the return will be surprising. For example First Solar has traded in a 52 week range of $27.54 - $283.00! Sure, we all wish we had invested in FSLR early in 2007. But this type of return signals the types of returns many of these companies will see once the bubble forms in earnest.

DayStar has recently received a vote of confidence from some funding investors. The company raised some $68 million in needed cash by way of a secondary offering with a follow-on. Now unlike many small cap companies this was not a PIPE type financing with warrants attached. No sir, this was an offering of shares at the stated price of $4.25 per share. In my opinion the type of investors who buy into these types of offerings are looking for a much larger pay off than a simple run, flip, short, cover and gone type investor you often times see with a PIPE financing structured deal.
ThinkEquity initiates coverage on DayStar Technologies (Nasdaq: DSTI) with a Buy."

Take a look at the technical side of DSTI

:-)

Google (GOOG) A Solar Energy Play? Why Not?

2007-11-27T10:38:00.000-08:00

Google's Larry Page introduces their renewable energy initiative today.

Clean and affordable energy is a growing need for our company, so we’re excited about RE <>

We’re busy assembling our own internal research and development group and hiring a team of engineers and energy experts tasked with building 1 gigawatt of renewable energy capacity that is cheaper than coal. (That’s enough electricity to power a city the size of San Francisco.) Google’s R&D effort will begin with a significant effort on solar thermal technology, and will also investigate enhanced geothermal systems and other areas.

Google Green FAQs.

Seeking Alpha On Teck Cominco (TCK)

2007-11-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

Stock blog Seeking Alpha mentions Teck Comino (TCK) today as a recommended stock in the portfolio of Wickham Investment Counsel Inc.

Since I bought the stock it's dropped more than 15%. In the face of the Seeking Alpha article today it's dropped another 4%.

Update 11/27:

This POS turned out to be a huge disappointment. If I were inclined to hold until I am an old man I guess it could turn out OK. Frankly I can't understand how this stock dropped off the cliff as it has over the last couple of weeks.
When will I ever get a clue about Canadian stocks?

Ausra To Supply Pacific Gas and Electric With Solar Power

2007-11-09T21:01:00.000-08:00

The San Jose Mercury News reports PG&E will buy 177 megawatts of solar power from a facility to be built in San Luis Obispo County by Ausra, a Palo Alto company.

"The plant will be built in the eastern portion of San Luis Obispo County, off Highway 58 near the small towns of Simmler and California Valley, and not far from the Carrizo Plain National Monument. The location is near existing transmission lines.

Last week, Ausra asked the California Energy Commission to let it build the plant, to be called the Carrizo Energy Solar Farm. If approved, construction would begin in early 2009, with the plant scheduled to open in 2012. It will take 350 workers to build the plant, and 100 to operate it."

Ausra calls themselves a "Utility-Scale" solar power provider. Ausra is a privately held company.

View Larger Map

TCK, Teck Cominco Delivers Specialty Metals

2007-11-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

Teck Cominco (TCK) is the least sexy stock in the solar realm. It's not a solar stock at all but a mining company that digs out and refines the raw materials important to solar wafer producers.

Germanium, gallium and idium are key elements necessary for construction of wafers used in photovoltaic solar panels. Even advanced second generation solar tech producers need these materials. TCK is a major producer of all three.

As long as PV panels are needed the companies using wafers to build panels will need the raw materials. While these elements are abundant in nature only a few companies actually refine it.

From their website;

Teck Cominco is a world leader in the production of zinc and lead, and is also a significant producer of specialty metals such as germanium, indium and cadmium.

Germanium: Teck Cominco is the world’s largest integrated germanium producer. Germanium-bearing concentrates are processed at our integrated lead/zinc refinery in Trail.

Indium: Teck Cominco is one of the world’s largest integrated indium producers. Indium is produced as a co-product of the zinc smelting process at our integrated refinery in Trail.

Cadmium: Cadmium is produced as a co-product of our zinc smelting and refining process.

Note this sales pitch from the Germanium page;

Teck Cominco has been delivering high quality germanium for over a decade. We produce a wide offering of germanium products, many of which have been developed in conjunction with our customers. Our product technicians and business development team are dedicated to introducing new products and applications to meet your needs. This includes raw material supply, product development, and recycling.

If you are currently developing a product, or are in the process of researching new areas that may require germanium, then give us a call or complete our inquiry form.

TCK is diversified and it seems for now the specialty metals is only a minor contributor to the baseline. Have a look at TCK's financial condition.
They look sound, they make money. If you are looking for a different play on solar with a bonus of other basic materials this may be a safe, profitable play.

ENER Breaks Out

2007-11-08T08:09:00.000-08:00

It's been a bit frustrating watching FSLR blow through the roof daily over the last month while sleepers like ENER, DSTI and ESLR sat still.

Today Energy Conversion Devices, (ENER) made a definitive move following earnings, blowing shorts off the stock. It was all a matter of time really. Shorts clearly overplayed their hand here.
While earnings overall were not spectacular the solar division showed solid growth.

Investors in the solar sector only need to see a crack to crawl into. Once inside they widen the wedge. ENER has a solid following on the long side. Punishing shorts is payback big time.

We are witnessing shorts consistently being pushed out at great expense over and over, stock to stock in this sector.

A short squeeze is the most beautiful thing to see in the market. I hope the ENER short squeeze keeps its steam.

Energy Conversion Devices (ENER) Shorts Exiting?

2007-10-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

United Solar Ovonic, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices (ENER).

ENER's growth plans;

United Solar Ovonic’s expansion plans increase its manufacturing capacity to 118MW, 178MW, and over 300MW per annum by the end of calendar years 2007, 2008, and 2010, respectively. United Solar Ovonic currently employs 700 people.

Because of United Solar Ovonic’s unique solar cell technology characteristics, such as lightweight, ruggedness, and flexibility, it is ideal for residential and industrial building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing systems. ECD Ovonics and United Solar Ovonic hold the basic patents covering the continuous roll-to-roll manufacturing of thin-film amorphous silicon alloy multi-junction solar cells and related products.

I like ENER for a number of reasons.

Low number of shares in float
Short ratio
Close to profitability
Making deals
Established sales force
U.S.A. based
Institutional ownership
Slightly under the radar

ENER is making product and looks to be on the verge of becoming profitable.

Take a look at the key statistics from Yahoo! Finance (link above);

Share Statistics
Average Volume (3 month)³:	1,538,760
Average Volume (10 day)³:	1,177,620
Shares Outstanding⁵:	39.86M
Float:	39.09M
% Held by Insiders¹:	8.76%
% Held by Institutions¹:	82.80%
Shares Short (as of 10-Oct-07)³:	10.77M
Short Ratio (as of 10-Oct-07)³:	6
Short % of Float (as of 10-Oct-07)³:	27.60%
Shares Short (prior month)³:	9.64M

When/if Energy Conversion Devices gives clarity to the market on the path towards profitability these shorts will be scrambling. One poster on Yahoo! Finance message boards, theorizes;

This is not a group of week handed shorts and with the high short position the group understands what they will do to the stock price when they start to cover. Wouldn't they buy the calls first to protect themselves on the way out? Is the recent activity in calls a prelude to what is coming?

Those would be the hedge fund traders and they wield some respect from the market makers. Maybe they are getting out with cover from above? Don't know but they have to get out from my vantage point.

I am being patient with ENER. I hold a very small parcel and do not intend to sell it until I need the money.
Same with my LDK.

Aussies Prefer Wind Over Nuclear Power

2007-10-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

The most read article on Yahoo! Australia today is a piece that reveals Aussies prefer wind power over nuclear power.

"Most Australians trust wind farms and the CSIRO, but are not keen on nuclear power stations or genetically modified crops, according to a new survey.

The National Technology and Society Monitor, conducted by the Australian Centre for Emerging Technologies and Society at Swinburne University of Technology, questioned one thousand people about their attitudes toward new and emerging technology.

The survey found 81 per cent of respondents are comfortable with wind farms.

"For most people it's an abstract kind of support because they don't live near wind farms and don't have much to do with them," centre director, Professor Michael Gilding, explained.

There was much less support for nuclear power stations, with more than half those surveyed stating some level of discomfort, despite the industry receiving support from a government review earlier this year...."

China Pollution, Why Solar & A.E. Will Explode

2007-10-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this satellite photo and the explanation behind the haze.

"The haze likely results from industrial and vehicular emissions as China struggles to balance economic growth with a healthy environment. According to news reports, lung cancer rates in China rose 26.9 percent in males and 38.4 percent in females between 2000 and 2005, and air quality was expected to pose the greatest challenge to athletes in the 2008 Olympics."

Ascent Solar, Norsk Hydro ASA, Video (link)

2007-10-21T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ascent, like all the other solar stocks dived Friday as the market took a breather. Maybe an extended breather, who knows.
I ran across This video featuring Ascent (ASTI) on Hydro.com.

More from Norsk Hydro ASA and their relationship with Ascent Solar Technologies;

"Ascent Solar’s cells are extremely thin. The active layers which convert sunlight into electricity are no more than three micrometers thick (three-thousandths of a millimeter), compared to the conventional solar cells which are 200 micro meters thick.

Ascent manufactures its thin film solar cells by a process where copper, indium, and gallium (CIGS) are layered on a flexible plastic foil which is encapsulated in a protective material. The result is that the cells are flexible, enabling application to rolled or uneven surfaces, in addition to more conventional uses.

This flexibility makes the Ascent solar cells particularly suitable to construction systems. Hydro is already actively involved in the development of aluminium building systems providing solutions for the construction of doors, windows and facades."

I view these market pull backs as opportunity.

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc (ASTI)

2007-10-19T05:50:00.000-07:00

I own this one thankfully but I don't know for how long. While the company is is carrying a lot of cash and has some decent tech they don't make money hand over fist, yet.

the run from $16 to $20 yesterday was initiated when the company issued an SEC filing that some feel put a dent in the short sellers ability to arbitrage or hedge their "bet".

I don't pretend to understand the nuances of those strategies however this Yahoo! poster on the ASTI board lends an opinion.

Text of the post referencing the news;

""Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTI), announced today that the company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission post-effective amendments to two existing Form SB-2 registration statements that cover, among other things, the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding Class B warrants. Today's filings do not register additional securities for sale by Ascent Solar, but are intended solely to convert the existing registrations on Form SB-2 into less burdensome and less costly registrations on Form S-3.

The post-effective amendment filings will temporarily impact the ability of warrant holders to exercise Class B warrants because until the SEC declares the filings effective, Ascent Solar may not issue any shares upon exercise of the Class B warrants. The ability to trade the Class B warrants on Nasdaq should not be impacted by the filings. Ascent Solar will announce when the post-effective amendments are declared effective and exercise of the Class B warrants may resume."
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site..."

This will be fun to watch. A part of me wants to hold this until the story plays out completely, the other part says clip off the profits if it hits $25.

Sun Power (SPWR) Teams On Denmark Plant

2007-10-17T05:56:00.000-07:00

On what will be the largest solar installation in Scandinavia Sun Power (SPWR) has teamed with two other solar companies, RA Cell and Danfoss.

From the press release;

"The unique installation was designed by Copenhagen-based Dissing+Weitling Architects together with panel manufacturer and systems integrator RAcell Solar. SunPower's A-300 high-efficiency solar cells were used in the panels that cover 1200 square meters (about 13,000 square feet) of the building's roofline, and Danfoss Solar Inverters provided the 24 inverters for this project. The solar electric system powers the ground water pumps that cool the building and the technical equipment located in the television studios. By combining fresh air, ground water and solar energy, two-thirds of the cooling needed is now generated by renewable energy, which is expected to reduce the annual carbon emissions by 40 tons.

"By combining SunPower's high-efficiency solar cells with our high-efficiency inverters, we are maximizing solar-electric output," said Henrik Raunkjaer, managing director at Danfoss Solar Inverters. "The unique solar array and outstanding artistic design add an exceptional building to the Copenhagen skyline. We compliment the vision and cooperation between all companies involved with this project."

SPWR is up 2% pre-market today. Maybe this is enough to push the shorts out of the way for a time.

You Choose, Trina (TSL) or LDK Solar (LDK)

2007-10-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

Financial site China Analyst posts an interesting chart comparing a number of the largest China solar plays.
The two that stand out in terms of projected growth and earnings per share are Trina Solar (TSL), and LDK Solar (LDK).

If I had to pick between the two I have to go with Trina. I like the low float and will love to see shorts get trapped against my position.
Not that I have anything against a good short play but for sport I like to see them scramble against my holdings.

I plan to buy TSL shortly. I may trade out some of my SPWR shares and move them over. SPWR went nowhere on very significant news from Spain today.
SPWR is a Titanic battle between shorts and longs and the shorts look a little too strong. Probably some naked shorting here, what else can explain the ability of the short's strength?

Interesting Video, Dawn of The Solar Age?

2007-10-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a supporting article for the video above describing how Sergey Brin and Larry Page, indeed all of Google has embraced alternative energy.

Timminco Made People Rich

2007-10-15T08:51:00.001-07:00

Check out the graph of Timminco Limited (TIM) that trades on the Toronto Exchange.

Timminco has run from .28 to a high of $18. + in 2007. Timminco made it's move after it procured a silicon production company and netted some nice contracts.
To learn more about the company check out Gunther Portfolio.

Disclosure; I do not own any TIM

Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Green Bill

2007-10-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a package of green legislation yesterday stating;

“California is a world leader in improving technologies and promoting conservation while protecting our environment,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “That is why I am pleased to sign this legislation that will protect our precious resources and continue to keep California at the forefront of energy and water efficiency.”

The package included AB 1407 that states in part;

"by Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) creates the Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007 which provides incentives to attain the goal of installing 200,000 solar water heating systems in the state by 2017."

Hmmm, who builds solar water heaters in California? TSSP.PK does.
It's a .pk designation so if you choose to go there beware. Do your own research before buying here. Getting in and then OUT of a pink sheet stock is not without risk and some degree of difficulty.
I have been in and out of this one a couple of times and plan to get in again at some point.

Polysilicon, Who Produces It?

2007-10-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

According to Wikipedia only a handful of companies produced 75% of the worldwide production of polysilicon in 2006.

In no particular order we'll take a look at the top few.

Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation
HMS is based near Saginaw Michigan, who owns them is a mystery to me. Take a look at the link and try to follow the ownership graph.

Wacker Chemie
Private, based in Germany

Tokuyama
Japanese powerhouse ramping production of polysilicon as mentioned prominently in their annual report link above. Newer facilities will be on board in 2009.

Osaka Titanium
Another Japanese company listed on the Japanese Stock Exchange.

MEMC Electronic Materials Inc.
Look at their growth;

NYSE ID: WFR
2003 Net Sales: 781,000,000
2004 Net Sales: 1,027,958,000
2005 Net Sales: 1,107,379,000
2006 Net Sales: 1,540,584,000

The MEMC data got my attention. Look at the growth rate while keeping in mind the demand for one of their key products.

All of the top polysilicon producers are increasing production capacity. Investors in the solar sector will want to know who gets in line first in the supply chain. It all starts with polysilicon.

Solar Stock IPO's. Did You Know?

2007-10-13T06:33:00.000-07:00

"Of the top 9 IPO performing stocks in the last 12 months, five of them have been solar stocks."

Zacks points to these solar energy stock IPO's and the amazing performances of each;

FLSR. (First Solar) has increased over 400% in less than a year ( IPO on 11/2006). First day close was 24.74. It is now at 130.
TSR. (Trina Solar), IPO on 12 /18/06, has increased 200%. (from $20 to $63 per shr).
JASO (JA Solar), IPO earlier this year, up approx. 150%. (from 17.80 to 45)
LDK (LDK solar), IPO May 31, 2007, up over 150%. (from 27 to 70).
YGE (Yingli Green), a solar company, IPO in June 2007, up over 160%.

Like Shooting Fish In A Barrel

2007-10-12T17:24:00.000-07:00

I remember going deep sea fishing with my Dad back when I was a kid and when the boat captain found fish he would say "drop your lines" and fish would run to the hooks.

You didn't know if a rock cod, ling cod, halibut, grouper or even a salmon might come up as you reeled in but there would be something on the hook.

This is the best metaphor I can come up with for what is happening with solar energy stocks. The water is full of fish, you can hardly miss, no captain needed.... for now.

I am trying to narrow down my list. One I am committed to is Sun Power Corporation (SPWR). I don't have much of it but I'll hold what I have. Though down a bit after hours today it showed decent strength on a day after CNBC's Jim Cramer, who I like a lot, hammered it on his program "Mad Money" telling viewers to "sell, sell, sell".

Didn't matter, on this one Cramer was unaware of the underlying story. Shorts are doomed on this stock.

Other stocks I heard mentioned throughout the day on the radio and TV was Evergreen Solar (ESLR). I can see why the shorts are dreaming here. 100 mil. revs and an almost 1 bil. market cap, huge float.........

The company has about 50% institutional interest and they are not selling. Fact is shorts here are up against a rising tide. Of the 98 million shares in float 17% is short. Yeah they may have their day, someday.

I bought some today. Shorts be damned.

One stock everyone is in agreement on as certain winner is ENER. Next week I'll free some funds to devote to them.

Not exactly fish in a barrel, or pulling up a fish on every drop of the line but for now it feels that way!

ENER May Be The Next Big Mover

2007-10-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

If you pick through the details in this Forbes story via Sify you might conclude ENER is a fairly safe bet. Read the story in full to appreciate the standard overview of power and expected growth for the sector and how ENER fits in.

"Most of these solar stocks are volatile and thus fraught with risk. One strategy is to play the supply chain for crystalline silicon photovoltaic providers. RBC's Bush expects higher margins at the upstream end of the chain (e.g., silicon and wafer manufacturers) where capital equipment costs and technical know-how provide more protection against new competition.

Unfortunately the top three wafer makers--REC, SolarWorld AG and Schott Solar are all privately owned German companies. The next largest provider is PV Crystalox. Chase of New Energy Finance agrees, but advises that investors look among thin-film companies that are technology leaders in their field. Here again, publicly traded stocks are limited to First Solar, DayStar Technologies and Energy Conversion Devices."

Energy Conversion Devises is ENER (Ovonic), a stock I have bought and sold but will certainly buy again for a long term hold.

I missed the run on First Solar and own a few hundred shares of DayStar (DSTI) that I have under lock and key.

Solar Stocks To Watch Today, Oct. 11

2007-10-11T06:24:00.000-07:00

SPWR, news all over the place. Here and also they are supplying another California home builder in the Sacramento area, Tim Lewis Homes.

TSSP.pk, news on a contract to provide solar water heaters.

CSUN, news of new contracts but nailing down the exact number of share in float is difficult.

Australia Labor Party Wants Solar Water Heaters Mandatory

2007-10-10T16:20:00.001-07:00

Greenpeace Australia Chapter reports:

".....the ALP today announced that they intend to phase out the installation of electric hot water systems over the next 5 years.

Greenpeace welcomed the announcement as a positive and simple measure which will make a significant impact on household greenhouse pollution. (Some of the coverage can be seen in the SMH and the West Australian). Now both Labor and the Coalition are offering $1000 solar water heating rebates, but importantly Labor is going further and banning inefficient water heaters.

Using electricity to heat water is like using a chainsaw to cut butter- its completely over the top and excessive. However only about 5% of Australian households use solar water heating. If implemented this policy will provide a strong boost to Australia’s solar water heating industry.

We are beginning to see some solid policies from both Labor and the Coalition aimed at reducing household emissions. What we need from both parties now though is the big picture on how they intend to reduce emissions across the whole economy, not just the household sector which makes up just 20% of national emissions....."

I'm all for it, but then I'm not in Australia and don't much concern myself with their politics. No matter, this says everything. As extreme as it sounds the signal is sent, the future is all about solar energy and some governments are serous about it.

Our task as investors is to decipher who the solar water heater companies are and who supplies their parts.

My thanks to a wise Aussie friend Ross from Brisbane for tipping me to the site!

Video View, Solar

2007-10-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

Focus AKNS, Akeena Solar

2007-10-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

Like most of the Solar stocks Akeena Solar Inc. (AKNS) took a breather today dropping 8%, but ticking up some after hours. Akeena is an exciting company, one that I intend to stay on top of for years to come, provided they are not scooped up by a larger energy company.

Their solar panel product called Andalay, is described in part;

"Akeena Solar, Inc. (OTCBB:AKNS), a leading designer and installer of solar power systems, today unveiled unique new solar panels that look like handsome designer-produced skylights and have built in features that cut installation time from half a day to half an hour.

Best Looking Rooftop System

"We've been selling solar power systems since 2001," said Barry Cinnamon, CEO of Akeena Solar, Inc. "We know what consumers want: great aesthetics and superior reliability, and we've designed a system that meets these requirements. We're calling this new system Andalay - and it's the best looking system available on the market. Gone are the days when solar panels had to have a somewhat industrial look on a home."

Andalay is the latest, state-of-the-art solar panel technology, combining built-in reliability with outstanding aesthetics. Unlike ordinary solar panels, Andalay panels are all-black and when installed actually look like a skylight on a home. Andalay features built-in wiring, built-in grounding and built-in racking so the panels attach directly to the roof offering a smooth, flush appearance. And the installation has been so streamlined - using 70 percent fewer parts and 25 percent fewer attachment points - a system for a small house can now be installed in under an hour on the roof.

Unparalleled Reliability

"Andalay is truly revolutionary. The panels look better, are more reliable, offer superior performance and bring solar to its rightful place at the forefront of alternative energy technologies," said Cinnamon. "We are excited to bring a product that answers the concerns of consumers with an efficient - and sexy - solution. It is simple, consumers feel good, homes look great and the environment gets better."

Additionally, the economics make sense. With states offering rebates and tax credits, payback on a system is getting shorter and shorter. In California, a system would ordinarily cost $25,000, but with the state's rebates and tax credit the cost would be reduced to about $17,000. A solar power system can save about $100 of electricity every month, payback is in about eight years, and customers get a locked-in electric rate of 12 cents per kwh for the 30+ year life of the system.

Andalay solar panels were launched and showcased at a reception prior to Solar Power 2007, the premier solar event in the United States on September 24, 2007 in Long Beach, CA. The panels will be available to consumers in major U.S. solar markets (including California, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Hawaii).

Andalay offers the following features:

Mounts closer to roof with less space between panels
All black appearance with no unsightly racks underneath or besides panels
Built-in wiring connections - no dangling wires to damage over time
70% fewer roof-assembled parts and 50% less labor
25% fewer roof attachment points (fewer roof penetrations), fewer points of failure, flashed roof attachments (no leaks), less rooftop weight, sturdy against heating/cooling cycles
Full compliance with National Electric Code and UL 1703 wiring and grounding requirements

Specifications and pictures of the Andalay system are available at www.andalay.net."

The stock just recently moved to NASDAQ. Take a look at their fundamentals, lots of room to grow!!

Focus Stock SPWR

2007-10-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

One stock I am watching closely tomorrow and for the rest of the week is Sun Power Corporation.

From their corporate site;

"SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWR) designs, manufactures and delivers high-performance solar electric systems worldwide for residential, commercial and utility-scale power plant customers. SunPower high-efficiency solar cells and solar panels generate up to 50 percent more power than conventional solar technologies and have a uniquely attractive, all-black appearance. With headquarters in San Jose, Calif., SunPower has offices in North America, Europe and Asia. SunPower is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE: CY)."

OK, now on to the interesting item about the stock. It's expensive trading near $90 but check out these stats;

(from Yahoo! Finance)

Shares Outstanding:.... 83.32M
Float:...... 12.41M
% Held by Insiders:..... 18.11%
% Held by Institutions:..... 93.40%
Shares Short (as of 11-Sep-07):...... 8.08M
Short Ratio (as of 11-Sep-07):..... 5.2
Short % of Float (as of 11-Sep-07):..... 9.90%
Shares Short (prior month):....... 8.22M

It's a minuscule float with stubborn shorts. I won't argue the valuation is high but so is BIDU and that train doesn't stop.
Let's watch how the battlefield takes shape as the week progresses.

Get To Know Solar Energy

2007-10-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

The best way to educate yourself on the hot solar sector is to connect with those who study and write on the subject. Renewable Energy Access is one of the best places to start learning about solar energy!

Focus on Solar Energy Stocks and News

2007-10-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hi, we'll focus on renewable energy sources specifically the solar industry. We'll talk about solar energy stocks, focus on a few and keep a sharp eye on solar stocks residing under the radar.

Stay tuned!

Thanks