Currently Browsing: Articles
The Best Solar Energy Stock Investments
Posted by admin in Articles on Nov 7th, 2009 | 0 commentsBrian Krassenstein asked:
With Oil prices on the rebound after plummeting nearly 72% in a 12 month period, many people are not back on the alternate energy bandwagon. American’s as well as people all over the world are tired of having a big part of their finances dependent on the cost of energy, not to mention there are more and more environmentalists emerging in this day and age.
So, What is one of the most promising alternate energy sources, which is both efficient and completely environmentally friendly? Solar energy. The prospects for investors in Solar energy companies can be huge. Although many of these stocks are already trading at huge multiple on the markets expectations, there are still deals to be found. Only 0.1% of all energy in use today in the United States is from the sun. That is 1 in ever 1000 kilowatts of energy. This means the growth potential is huge. Companies and increasing the efficiencies of their solar technologies greatly, especially over the last few years.
Here are a few of the investments you may consider looking into if you are looking to try and take advantage of the potential this industry has. I would recommend diversifying your holdings into a number of these stocks and etfs:
* PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy (PBW)
* First Solar (FSLR)
* SunPower Corporation (SPWRA)
* Suntech Power Holding Ltd. (STP)
* JA Solar (JASO)
* Solar Enertech Corp (SOEN)
* Nano Solar
* Miasole
* China Sunergy (CSUN)
* LDK Solar (LDK)
* Solarfun (SOLF)
Not all of these stocks may be right for you, however, you should take a closer look at each of them and determine which will be the best fits for your portfolio.
Nanosolar Stock
...With Oil prices on the rebound after plummeting nearly 72% in a 12 month period, many people are not back on the alternate energy bandwagon. American’s as well as people all over the world are tired of having a big part of their finances dependent on the cost of energy, not to mention there are more and more environmentalists emerging in this day and age.
So, What is one of the most promising alternate energy sources, which is both efficient and completely environmentally friendly? Solar energy. The prospects for investors in Solar energy companies can be huge. Although many of these stocks are already trading at huge multiple on the markets expectations, there are still deals to be found. Only 0.1% of all energy in use today in the United States is from the sun. That is 1 in ever 1000 kilowatts of energy. This means the growth potential is huge. Companies and increasing the efficiencies of their solar technologies greatly, especially over the last few years.
Here are a few of the investments you may consider looking into if you are looking to try and take advantage of the potential this industry has. I would recommend diversifying your holdings into a number of these stocks and etfs:
* PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy (PBW)
* First Solar (FSLR)
* SunPower Corporation (SPWRA)
* Suntech Power Holding Ltd. (STP)
* JA Solar (JASO)
* Solar Enertech Corp (SOEN)
* Nano Solar
* Miasole
* China Sunergy (CSUN)
* LDK Solar (LDK)
* Solarfun (SOLF)
Not all of these stocks may be right for you, however, you should take a closer look at each of them and determine which will be the best fits for your portfolio.
Nanosolar Stock
Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Film Cells
Posted by admin in Articles on May 17th, 2009 | 0 commentsKriss Bergethon asked:
There has been a lot of buzz lately about solar film, also called flexible or foldable, solar panels. This is an emerging technology and could completely revolutionize renewable energy. Thin film solar most often uses CIGS (copper indium gallium (di)selenide) technology or amorphous silicon, which are much cheaper and easier to manufacture than the standard solar crystalline panels we’re used to seeing. Let’s break down the different advantages and disadvantages of this new and exciting technology.
Advantages:
* Cost. Flexible solar is leading the way to cheap energy from the sun. Costs for this technology are dropping quickly and with the investment in research and development, these costs will continue to fall.
* Application. The biggest advantages currently with thin film solar is its numerous application options. Unlike traditional panels, flexible panels can be applied to a wide variety of surfaces. In addition to the traditional roof mounted design, these cells are being molded to cars, backpacks, clothing, and even windows. Some companies are even integrating the cells into things like roof tiles and siding, so your house will have solar in it, not just on it.
* Technology Advancements. Many large companies such as Shell, Honda, and Nanosolar are throwing all their research muscle behind thin film solar. This means that the technology will improve greatly over time, and some of the advancements are already coming to market.
* Fewer Defects. Because the manufacturing process is simpler, there are often fewer defects. The highly technical method of building traditional solar panels, sometimes compared to computer chip manufacturing, involves a lot of detailed soldering. This has been historically a place where the traditional panels experienced a lot of warranty issues. Not so with solar film. The process is closer to printing and therefore is subject to fewer defect issues.
* Less Voltage Drop. Electricity in most applications flows better when its cool. When thin film solar cells heat up they tend to loose less voltage than traditional panels.
* Performance in Low-light. Many thin solar panels have better energy production in low-light and shading situations.
* Durability. Since the technology is fairly new, there are some questions about how long these cells will last. But many early-adopters have reported their cells lasting 15 years and more. These cells do not require the glass and aluminum casings of traditional cells because the materials within them are flexible and malleable, not brittle like crystalline silicon. This means they will likely take more abuse and last longer.
Disadvantages:
* Efficiency Questions. Efficiency of these cells has lagged anywhere from 50%-70% behind that of traditional crystalline cells. This is changing quickly however. In 2005, the National Renewable Energy Lab achieved a world record 19.9% efficiency for a CIGS cell. This means that 19.9% of the total energy that fell on the cell was converted to electricity. This is approaching the world record for a common solar panel of 24.7%.
* Space Needed. With the efficiencies currently available, you would need approximately 50% more room with thin film solar to produce the same electricity as a traditional solar setup.
* Heat Retention. Because thin film solar is usually applied directly to a surface, they can retain more hear. Traditional panels are generally installed with a standoff, meaning there is space between the panel and the supporting surface, allowing for air to cool the panels. Thin film solar may retain more heat, creating a balance act between this and its benefit of better performance at higher temperatures.
Nanosolar Sales
...There has been a lot of buzz lately about solar film, also called flexible or foldable, solar panels. This is an emerging technology and could completely revolutionize renewable energy. Thin film solar most often uses CIGS (copper indium gallium (di)selenide) technology or amorphous silicon, which are much cheaper and easier to manufacture than the standard solar crystalline panels we’re used to seeing. Let’s break down the different advantages and disadvantages of this new and exciting technology.
Advantages:
* Cost. Flexible solar is leading the way to cheap energy from the sun. Costs for this technology are dropping quickly and with the investment in research and development, these costs will continue to fall.
* Application. The biggest advantages currently with thin film solar is its numerous application options. Unlike traditional panels, flexible panels can be applied to a wide variety of surfaces. In addition to the traditional roof mounted design, these cells are being molded to cars, backpacks, clothing, and even windows. Some companies are even integrating the cells into things like roof tiles and siding, so your house will have solar in it, not just on it.
* Technology Advancements. Many large companies such as Shell, Honda, and Nanosolar are throwing all their research muscle behind thin film solar. This means that the technology will improve greatly over time, and some of the advancements are already coming to market.
* Fewer Defects. Because the manufacturing process is simpler, there are often fewer defects. The highly technical method of building traditional solar panels, sometimes compared to computer chip manufacturing, involves a lot of detailed soldering. This has been historically a place where the traditional panels experienced a lot of warranty issues. Not so with solar film. The process is closer to printing and therefore is subject to fewer defect issues.
* Less Voltage Drop. Electricity in most applications flows better when its cool. When thin film solar cells heat up they tend to loose less voltage than traditional panels.
* Performance in Low-light. Many thin solar panels have better energy production in low-light and shading situations.
* Durability. Since the technology is fairly new, there are some questions about how long these cells will last. But many early-adopters have reported their cells lasting 15 years and more. These cells do not require the glass and aluminum casings of traditional cells because the materials within them are flexible and malleable, not brittle like crystalline silicon. This means they will likely take more abuse and last longer.
Disadvantages:
* Efficiency Questions. Efficiency of these cells has lagged anywhere from 50%-70% behind that of traditional crystalline cells. This is changing quickly however. In 2005, the National Renewable Energy Lab achieved a world record 19.9% efficiency for a CIGS cell. This means that 19.9% of the total energy that fell on the cell was converted to electricity. This is approaching the world record for a common solar panel of 24.7%.
* Space Needed. With the efficiencies currently available, you would need approximately 50% more room with thin film solar to produce the same electricity as a traditional solar setup.
* Heat Retention. Because thin film solar is usually applied directly to a surface, they can retain more hear. Traditional panels are generally installed with a standoff, meaning there is space between the panel and the supporting surface, allowing for air to cool the panels. Thin film solar may retain more heat, creating a balance act between this and its benefit of better performance at higher temperatures.
Nanosolar Sales
As Oil Prices Rise, So Does Interest in Energy Ventures
Posted by admin in Articles on Mar 10th, 2009 | 0 commentsDave Lavinsky asked:
As the worldwide demand for energy increases, and oil prices rise, many venture capital firms have begun to focus on the alternative energy sector.
In fact, in June 2005, Pasadena, CA-based solar company, Energy Innovations, raised $16.5 million in venture capital led by Mohr Davidow Ventures. At around the same time, Nanosolar raised $20 million (also led by Mohr Davidow Ventures), solar startup HelioVolt, based in Austin, TX, secured an $8 million investment from New Enterprise Associates, and Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers led a $16 million investment in Miasolé, a thin-film solar firm.
The current focus on energy investments, and particularly “clean energy”, will hopefully be a true win-win; investors will make a good return on their investments and our environment will be positively impacted. In fact, The California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF) was recently launched to “make attractive investments, but also to provide an engine of economic growth while reducing California’s dependence on fossil fuels.” Soon after this $30 million fund was launched, it announced agreements with three leading venture capital firms: Nth Power, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and VantagePoint Venture Partners.
While some of the venture capital firms are new to the energy space, Nth Power is not. The firm began investing in 1997 and has over $250 million under management, with investments in energy intelligence, power reliability, distributed generation and related services. Other traditional energy VC firms include EnerTech Capital, founded in 1996.
In the foreseeable future, energy and clean energy investments seem promising. Not only must alternatives to high oil and gas prices be combated, but nearly 20 states have already set goals for the percentage of energy sources that must come from renewable sources. As a result, there are many, many buyers for energy products; the challenge is for entrepreneurial companies to invent them.
Nanosolar Panel
...As the worldwide demand for energy increases, and oil prices rise, many venture capital firms have begun to focus on the alternative energy sector.
In fact, in June 2005, Pasadena, CA-based solar company, Energy Innovations, raised $16.5 million in venture capital led by Mohr Davidow Ventures. At around the same time, Nanosolar raised $20 million (also led by Mohr Davidow Ventures), solar startup HelioVolt, based in Austin, TX, secured an $8 million investment from New Enterprise Associates, and Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers led a $16 million investment in Miasolé, a thin-film solar firm.
The current focus on energy investments, and particularly “clean energy”, will hopefully be a true win-win; investors will make a good return on their investments and our environment will be positively impacted. In fact, The California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF) was recently launched to “make attractive investments, but also to provide an engine of economic growth while reducing California’s dependence on fossil fuels.” Soon after this $30 million fund was launched, it announced agreements with three leading venture capital firms: Nth Power, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and VantagePoint Venture Partners.
While some of the venture capital firms are new to the energy space, Nth Power is not. The firm began investing in 1997 and has over $250 million under management, with investments in energy intelligence, power reliability, distributed generation and related services. Other traditional energy VC firms include EnerTech Capital, founded in 1996.
In the foreseeable future, energy and clean energy investments seem promising. Not only must alternatives to high oil and gas prices be combated, but nearly 20 states have already set goals for the percentage of energy sources that must come from renewable sources. As a result, there are many, many buyers for energy products; the challenge is for entrepreneurial companies to invent them.
Nanosolar Panel
Solar Modules – Silicon vs CIGS
Posted by admin in Articles on Mar 6th, 2009 | 0 commentsMichael Motley asked:
With solar manufacturing, there is a close contest to see which material will be the material of choice for Photovoltaic (PV) cell/module production. The PV module field is dominated by silicon at this point. An estimated 90% of the PV modules in use today are silicon based. There is good reason for this amount of use. Silicon (along with steel and concrete) is one of the 3 most studied materials in history, and because of this, much is known about silicon and its properties. Silicon is time-tested and has shown to be very reliable for PV module production. However even silicon supporters agree that silicon is not exactly suited for its role in PV production. Silicon is not a conductor by nature. Silicon is actually very pure, to the tune of 99.9% pure and in order for silicon to be the excellent conductor that it is, it must be ‘doped’ with certain materials. Once doped, the purity of silicon is a great benefit for conductivity. Silicon is also rigid and brittle, so the applications of silicon PV cells are somewhat limited in scope.
CIGS (copper indium gallium diselenide) PV modules are working to take silicon’s place in the solar module market. Solar modules produced using the CIGS production method have got a few things going for them that make them a very attractive over it’s silicon counterparts.
1) Flexibility. CIGS modules can be based on flexible surfaces, usually a thin, flexible metallic film. This is important for PV modules because it gives new range to the possibilities for implementation. No longer are PV modules required to be big heavy panels that take up substantial roof space and may be considered unappealing from an architectural point of view.
2) Low Cost – CIGS production methods creates solar film, that is much thinner than the average solar wafer. Thinner means less materail (usually around 1.4 microns) and less material equals lower cost. It is forecasted that by 2010, CIGS manufacturing, will bring the price of solar modules up to 2.50 per watt. Couple that with rising oil prices and solar will be very competitive with fossil fuels
3) Efficiency. The standard for PV efficiency in the silicon world is around 13%, and climbing. Silicon supporters know that in a perfect world, silicon’s efficiency will top out at around 30%. CIGS efficiency right now is around 11% and also climbing. Because conductivity is a native ability of the CIGS combination the upper range of efficiency is thought to be much higher. The flexiblity afforded by the CIGS process offsets the relatively low loss of efficiency for many people. The highest ever achieved with CIGS is 19.5% efficiency, which is higher than amorphous silicon or cadmium PV cells
CIGS manufacturing even has the promise of spray-on as well as printable photovoltaics. In theory, not just your roof could create power from the sun, but your entire house. Also it is very possible and likely with this technology that you will soon be able to print off PV cells from your personal printer (though they likely won’t be efficient enough to actually power your home.
Right now, the two main players in the CIGS industry are Nanosolar and Heliovolt. Both have invested heavily into CIGS tech (along with a lot of big name private investors) and are betting that in the coming decade, CIGS will be the way to go in PV production.
Fact: Venture capitalists have poured more than $344 million into five CIGS companies in the last few years Nanosolar, Miasole, Solopower, Solyndra, and Ascent Solar
Nanosolar Panels
...With solar manufacturing, there is a close contest to see which material will be the material of choice for Photovoltaic (PV) cell/module production. The PV module field is dominated by silicon at this point. An estimated 90% of the PV modules in use today are silicon based. There is good reason for this amount of use. Silicon (along with steel and concrete) is one of the 3 most studied materials in history, and because of this, much is known about silicon and its properties. Silicon is time-tested and has shown to be very reliable for PV module production. However even silicon supporters agree that silicon is not exactly suited for its role in PV production. Silicon is not a conductor by nature. Silicon is actually very pure, to the tune of 99.9% pure and in order for silicon to be the excellent conductor that it is, it must be ‘doped’ with certain materials. Once doped, the purity of silicon is a great benefit for conductivity. Silicon is also rigid and brittle, so the applications of silicon PV cells are somewhat limited in scope.
CIGS (copper indium gallium diselenide) PV modules are working to take silicon’s place in the solar module market. Solar modules produced using the CIGS production method have got a few things going for them that make them a very attractive over it’s silicon counterparts.
1) Flexibility. CIGS modules can be based on flexible surfaces, usually a thin, flexible metallic film. This is important for PV modules because it gives new range to the possibilities for implementation. No longer are PV modules required to be big heavy panels that take up substantial roof space and may be considered unappealing from an architectural point of view.
2) Low Cost – CIGS production methods creates solar film, that is much thinner than the average solar wafer. Thinner means less materail (usually around 1.4 microns) and less material equals lower cost. It is forecasted that by 2010, CIGS manufacturing, will bring the price of solar modules up to 2.50 per watt. Couple that with rising oil prices and solar will be very competitive with fossil fuels
3) Efficiency. The standard for PV efficiency in the silicon world is around 13%, and climbing. Silicon supporters know that in a perfect world, silicon’s efficiency will top out at around 30%. CIGS efficiency right now is around 11% and also climbing. Because conductivity is a native ability of the CIGS combination the upper range of efficiency is thought to be much higher. The flexiblity afforded by the CIGS process offsets the relatively low loss of efficiency for many people. The highest ever achieved with CIGS is 19.5% efficiency, which is higher than amorphous silicon or cadmium PV cells
CIGS manufacturing even has the promise of spray-on as well as printable photovoltaics. In theory, not just your roof could create power from the sun, but your entire house. Also it is very possible and likely with this technology that you will soon be able to print off PV cells from your personal printer (though they likely won’t be efficient enough to actually power your home.
Right now, the two main players in the CIGS industry are Nanosolar and Heliovolt. Both have invested heavily into CIGS tech (along with a lot of big name private investors) and are betting that in the coming decade, CIGS will be the way to go in PV production.
Fact: Venture capitalists have poured more than $344 million into five CIGS companies in the last few years Nanosolar, Miasole, Solopower, Solyndra, and Ascent Solar
Nanosolar Panels
Venture Capital
Posted by admin in Articles on Feb 25th, 2009 | 0 commentsJared Evans asked:
There are a lot of private, start up companies today that are innovating the future of technology. For example, startup companies such as Konarka and Nanosolar have developed plastic solar panels. Say goodbye to the bulky silicon based solar panels and say hello to pliable panels that you can mold around your roof tile. Not only will this be more appealing to the eye, but it will create even more surface area to soak up the sun’s energy. By 2009 you should see some of these products hitting the market.
My money is on First Solar (FSLR) snatching up one of these startup companies.Who knows, in a couple of years you will probably see these plastic solar panels selling at your local Home Depot (HD).
So, it seems there are a lot of grand ideas being developed by small, private companies. I found a really good article about why such companies are staying private are taking advantage of this and profiting big time. No longer are venture capitalists risking their money on companies based out of their garage, but are now are funding proven companies.
Most investors have never tapped into private equity, and most don’t even know how. Obviously, investing in private companies is not like trading on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq – once you invest in a private company you are in a very illiquid position. That is why you must fully research the company before you hand over your hard earned money.
Investing in private equity can be very profitable, and it may be a viable alternative to the over-speculation found in today’s mainstream markets. Forbes annually lists the top venture capitalists; I suggest you start there for looking into investing in private equity. There area also many angel financing books out there too.
Nanosolar Sales
...There are a lot of private, start up companies today that are innovating the future of technology. For example, startup companies such as Konarka and Nanosolar have developed plastic solar panels. Say goodbye to the bulky silicon based solar panels and say hello to pliable panels that you can mold around your roof tile. Not only will this be more appealing to the eye, but it will create even more surface area to soak up the sun’s energy. By 2009 you should see some of these products hitting the market.
My money is on First Solar (FSLR) snatching up one of these startup companies.Who knows, in a couple of years you will probably see these plastic solar panels selling at your local Home Depot (HD).
So, it seems there are a lot of grand ideas being developed by small, private companies. I found a really good article about why such companies are staying private are taking advantage of this and profiting big time. No longer are venture capitalists risking their money on companies based out of their garage, but are now are funding proven companies.
Most investors have never tapped into private equity, and most don’t even know how. Obviously, investing in private companies is not like trading on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq – once you invest in a private company you are in a very illiquid position. That is why you must fully research the company before you hand over your hard earned money.
Investing in private equity can be very profitable, and it may be a viable alternative to the over-speculation found in today’s mainstream markets. Forbes annually lists the top venture capitalists; I suggest you start there for looking into investing in private equity. There area also many angel financing books out there too.
Nanosolar Sales
