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Investing in Solar Energy The Hottest Solar Investment No One’s Talking About
Renewable energy has been a hot political topic, but it has also been just as hot as an investment. We have seen tremendous growth in wind, hydro and geothermal energy production, but one of the more recent markets to catch fire has been solar. To see just how explosive this market really is, there is no need to look any further than a couple of solar module producers, Trina Solar (TSL: NYSE) and First Solar (FSLR: NASDAQ). These two companies have recently signed some major deals, and it has shown in their stock prices. These companies have seen huge run-ups in the past few months. Let’s first take a look at Trina Solar. It has recently signed contracts with a German company and three Italian companies. These contracts have TSL set to deliver solar modules that will produce approximately 88-99 megawatts of power over the next three years. Just on the news of these contracts, Trina’s stock jumped 16%, but this company was hot before these contracts even came out. TSL is up over 47% since the middle of June! But it isn’t the only one taking advantage of the solar boom. In fact, the story for First Solar is even more impressive… ************Special Alert************ Here’s $500 to Go That “Last Mile” In an inside deal this July, two tech giants have embarked on a revolutionary agreement that will change the face of high-speed Internet access for 78 million Americans. There is one tiny company that will see its $4 per share price skyrocket to unheard of heights. Find out how one star analyst predicts investors will make up to 22 times their money if they get in now. You can be one of them, but you have to hurry… You only have five days left… Check it out here… ************************************** First Solar, like Trina, produces solar modules. With the signing of its recent contracts, FSLR is set to manufacture and sell enough solar modules to create 658 megawatts of power by 2012. To make this number relevant to you, the total amount of solar energy produced in the U.S. amounts to approximately 400 megawatts. This is an enormous deal, and to help make good on its end, First Solar has announced the production of a manufacturing plant in Malaysia that will have an annual production of solar modules producing 120 megawatts of power. This plant is set to come online in the first half of 2009. After the news release of its most recent contracts, First Solar shares jumped 24%, but even more impressive is that it is up more than 180% since the beginning of May. The solar market is still young, and there are still some amazing gains to be had. However, there is a completely different way to play this market and experience what might turn out to be the greatest gains of the solar rally yet to come… What Do Commodities Have to Do with Solar Energy? Commodities aren’t the first things that come to mind when you think of the solar market. Why should they be? The whole notion of renewable energy is based on the fact that it doesn’t use oil, coal, natural gas or other tangible assets to produce electricity. But there is big money to be made in gray gold… Gray gold, or silicon, is the base semiconductor used in the production of over 85% of solar cells. Rapid growth in the use of solar energy has led to a very large increase in the demand for silicon. The problem is that refiners are really having a hard time in keeping up with this sudden increase in demand… ************************************** The 100% Profits Pledge When my publisher told me they're pledging to give you the opportunity for at least 12 100% winners this year or your money back, I said they were nuts. But then I looked back at my track record...and the tables turned. So for the biggest profits possible, check this out… ************************************** So Why Not Use a Substitute? The idea of substitutes is very important because it can act as a price cap for certain items. For example, if the price of beef gets too high, people will start eating more poultry. If there is a feasible substitute, there is a limit to how high the price of an item can go before consumers switch to something else. There is no reasonable substitute for silicon. It is the same reason that silicon-based semiconductors make up over 85% of the solar cell market. The preferred form of integrated circuit is called a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) logic circuit. Producers use this kind of circuit because it has a much lower level of energy consumption than any other form of integrated circuit used in the solar industry. In other words, it becomes much more economical in the production of electricity when the integrated circuit consumes less energy. Here’s the kicker: Silicon-based semiconductors are the only way you can make a CMOS logic circuit. This is a very important notion, because it will allow for the price of silicon to run up as long as supply-and-demand fundamentals favor a bull market. We’ll be closely monitoring how this all plays out… Regards, P.S: One of the best in the business, Byron King, heads up Hulbert’s #1 ranked advisory letter of the past five years, Outstanding Investments. He is one of the absolute best supply-and-demand guys you will ever find. Byron has been following this trend — along with everything else energy-related — for quite a while. He has worked hard to bring his Outstanding readers gains of 532%, 631% and even 749%. For an even more in-depth discussion on the energy world, check out this free report, which describes the full-on oil war of 2007. |
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