akapital

Solar Breaks Oil Price Dependence

A few notes here:

1. Solar is not the only energy sector being subsidized. Don't people realize how much the oil industry is being subsidized, vis-a-vis fighting wars all over the world to secure extraction and safe passage? Solar is immune to these geo-political subsidies as the sun shines everywhere. In short, Oil subsidies dwarf solar subsidies and all other energy subsidies comibined. Anyone who doesn't think oil is subsidized does not understand the big picture at all.

2. We don't need a Henry Ford of solar. That is not an apt metaphor really. The big cost savings will be with utilities adding to their grid as PG&E announced recently. Yes, maybe there will be an increase in individual use but the prime growth will come from industry seeing the cost savings. It will be huge.

Solarfun's Huge Run: Time To Lock in Solar Profits

people are still not getting it which means there is still time to get in.

The solar sector is not dependent on subsidies (anymore) and what the U.S. (whether Obama or McCain) or China does is a non-factor. These companies are already growing exponentially even as an alternative energy!! Can you imagine when solar transitions to mainstream? And we are in the early stages of that transition...but you have to have vision to see this. If you are still talking about putting solar on roofs and subsidies you are way behind. Solar is going to go into the grid and its going to succeed without the huge subsidies that oil currently receives - no one is going to be invading another country for solar anytime soon.

Game Changer in Solar Energy: PG&E Inks Deal

Yup, alot of people never understood that solar is not going to end up on people's rooftops, although certainly that is an option but that will likely be one of the small scale uses of solar and certainly one that is not as cost efficient as others. Indeed, the larger use and larger scale use will be with companies like PG&E building out solar farms and attaching it to the grid (as they announced today).

Great article, great news!!

Five Stocks to Own Now that the Dow Has Bottomed

Regardless of whether the DOW has bottomed or not this is good time to buy alternative energy. I can't comment on the financial stocks you recommend as I know nothing about them, but solar is happening and is here to stay. In the past solar depended too much on subsidies and/or the cost of traditional forms of energy. That is no longer the case. So solar's recent sell off offers a good time to get in as it is one industry that will fair better than others (financial is one that comes to mind).

One could argue that every sector will be affected by financials since liquidity and credit drives business but still some will be more affected than others. I think solar energy is now viewed as a great long term investment in energy across the globe and no longer some speculative investment....

In short, I concur on SOLF and lots of other good undiscovered alternative energy related stocks out there. Consider SATC as well. Do your own research and good luck.

First Solar Spreads Some Sunshine

Good article but if you feel late to these alt energy stocks and you missed FSLR...and you missed ENER...it's not too late to consider SATC. There are many other undiscovered quality companies in this sector that are experiencing incredible growth...SATC makes inverters and regardless of how the solar panel is made they are going to need inverters

Solar's Warm, But Not Hot - Barron's

Rhino, I agree...few people see it this way but what other industry has dictated the US foreign policy for the last 40 years if not longer. And how much is the war costing us in Iraq. I don't think we have invaded any country for Solar...the sun shines everywhere.

Solar Stocks Down on Spanish Subsidy Concerns

As I commented yesterday, the key driver for solar and other alternative energies right now is not subsidies. The key driver is the increasingly prohibitive cost of traditional forms of energy (i.e. oil and gas), as well as geopolitical and environmental reasons.

Traditional analysts still don't get it...

Lehman Recommends Pair Trades in Solar Stocks

Lehman is yelling fire again,the whole solar industries is being manipulated and heavily shorted by by the new york specialist's and they're hedge fund bosses

Some speculate that illegal naked short selling is behind some of the manipulation of solar and alternative energy stocks by traditional brokerage houses and hedges...they're not quite embracing the future...and it's obvious why, they're deep in oil.

Everyone knows Subsidies are not what are currently driving the solar or alternative energy market right now. Certainly this was the case for many years but it is evident now that higher traditional energy is the prime mover. Thus, these observations are anachronistic.

Interest in alt energy is being driven by the prohibitive cost of oil and other traditional energies. In addition, alt energies are cleaner and have less geopolitical impact as well.

But traditional analysts and investors alike are slow to change...even worse, enemies to it...

The U.S. industrial complex is currently sending bodies to Iraq to fight for oil...is it so far fetched to think that it might be fudging markets in favor of big oil? Big oil is use to getting what it wants. In free market capitalism the stakes are high, very high...and when a whole way of life is threatened (big oil) success will not be left to chance. When the stakes are this high, there will be cheaters...

Solar Stocks Feeling the Heat

Subsidies are not what are currently driving the solar or alternative energy market right now. Certainly this was the case for many years but it is evident now that higher traditional energy is the prime mover. Thus, these observations are anachronistic.

Interest in alt energy is being driven by the prohibitive cost of oil and other traditional energies. In addition, alt energies are cleaner and have less geopolitical impact as well.

But traditional analysts and investors alike are slow to change...

German Subsidy Fears Trigger Solar Downgrades

MER LYNCH, GOLDMAN...etc... they still don't get it and quite frankly I hope they continue to not get it.

These are the same co.s that bought into FICO scores and AAA rated tranches, etc. and created the whole subprimse mess.

They're running a racket and solar is like a foreign language to them as well as any kind of alternative to mainstream. They don't like reliance on subsidies, they don't understand the big picture on energy.

Solar is the future and both governments and free markets realize that. Will their be pullbacks on the way up? Of course. Some of those pullbacks will be induced by analysts who want to control these stocks like a yo-yo. That's their game.

No worries. There's more than a few people long on solar...there will be many sunny days ahead.