richjoy

My Top 5 Alternative Energy Stocks - and 10 Honorable Mentions

Thank you Andrew for an excellent article...and a discussion starter!

Fortunately, I don't need to hit a lot of home runs (which usually means being a .250 hitter); I'm comfortable being a .300 hitter with a lot of singles and doubles, and few strike-outs.

I very much like the alternative energy industry, but I am not certain which stocks, or even technologies, will be the winners in 5 years -- let alone in 30 years! I very much suspect (a) there will be a shakeout, perhaps violently so, with most of the alternative energy companies disappearing (clearly, some are pursuing dead-ends or have poor managements), and (b) the winners will not be one technology, but several which are best for different applications. Therefore, I like to spread the risks with ETF's plus a few individual stocks added.

Thanks to you, I'll now consider adding Applied Materials to my portfolio.

Solar Symbiosis: Making a Clean Break

You have made a (seemingly) convincing case for solar...I too have investments in solar, as I see it as one of my "mega-trend" ideas.

However, I do have a few questions: (a) What about solar efficiency in our northern states?; (b) It seems you have glided over future solar efficiency with a weak case (I reference: "The efficiencies of solar panels increase about 6%/yr. Solar panel makers now use less polysilicon and yet achieve greater conversion rates. This constant innovation - which creates a competitive edge between companies - will continue in the future.")...how can we know this will continue into the future?...doesn't expanded use of solar absolutely depend upon such continued innovation?; (c) your case seems to also depend upon continued government subsidies and tax credits--what happens if those are ended?; and (d) a "clean break" with foreign oil?...what you are smoking is surely illegal.

Nonetheless, I think you would be an excellent spokesman for the solar industry.