China Looks to Solar, Wind, Geothermal and green fuels

If it wasn't for the misguided inclusion of nuclear power as "green", China's plan for clean energy production would be highly commendable; still, they are facing major hurdles created by growth and pollution, and are proposing and developing a myriad of green power technology solutions to tackle these requirements.

The following article on alternative energy in China was posted today April 20,2009 to the Wall Street Journal Environmental Capital Blog:


Behind the Green Wall: China’s Clean-Energy Challenge

Posted by Keith Johnson

Does China illustrate the promise of clean energy or the Sisyphean task it faces? Put another way, will the U.S. crib from China, or will it be the other way around?

China is undoubtedly plowing ahead with its green revolution. As noted in a new report by the Center for American Progress, China is spending $12.6 million every hour on “green” stimulus plans. That amounts to about $220 billion over the next two years—roughly twice as much as the U.S. has earmarked for clean-energy stuff in the same period. Since the Chinese economy is smaller, its green bet is proportionally much bigger.

The green milestones are coming fast and furious. Beijing finally acknowledged a badly-kept secret and announced that China’s official wind power goal for 2020 is now 100 gigawatts, more than three times the previous official target. (The whole world today has 120 gigawatts of wind power; China has 12 gigawatts.)

If nuclear power is considered green—since it doesn’t emit greenhouse gases—chalk up another: China plans to fast-track the construction of five new, third-generation nuclear plants and make them operational in record time. China now aims for at least 60 gigawatts of nuclear power, up from 9 gigawatts today.

Full online article about clean energy industry in China 2009

China vs US for global solar energy leadership; 8 top Chinese solar stocks

Joe College Announces Rock Against OCN 2010

A series of Rock Against Oil Coal Nuclear concerts are being scheduled for the summer of 2010 in Canadian cities such as Toronto and Vancouver. The brainchild of classic punk rock singer Joe College, the events are designed to promote clean energy generation and global cooling initiatives such as reforestation.

Joe proposes a 100% reduction of coal and nuclear usage for electricity generation within 7 years; 50% within 3 years. For oil, Mr. College is promoting a 100% reduction as vehicle fuel within 12 years, 50% within 7 years.

Joe College was an organizer of the original Rock Against Radiation protests in 1979 and 1980, concerts which featured DOA, The Viletones, Young Canadians, Subhumans, Joe College and The Rulers, Forgotten Rebels, Pointed Sticks and more.

Original Joe College Punk Rock website

Post-Bush Rally in US and Global equity markets drives green energy stocks higher

Like a spring coiled to pop at the first whiff of good news, solar power stocks and other alternative energy companies rallied sharply today, March 23rd, 2009.

A few stellar renewable power technology companies up today:

LDK Solar LDK 5.24 +0.97 (22.72%)

Supplier of silicon wafers to many of the world's top photovoltaic energy companies.


Spire Corp SPIR 4.01 +0.65 (19.35%)

Manufacturer of building-integrated solar power products and turnkey solar energy manufacturing equipment; perhaps not as exciting as GT Solar, but a proven technology company with medical division also.


ReneSola (ADR) SOL 2.77 +0.42 (17.87%)

Jiashan, China-based manufacturer of solar wafers took a big hit in Q4 but investors now starting to look ahead.


Evergreen Solar ESLR 1.60 +0.23 (16.79%)

Former darling of the US solar industry fell over 90% during the credit markest crash but continues to post record revenue growth and can boast a nice stash of cash for expansion or takeovers.


GT Solar International SOLR 4.86 +0.64 (15.17%)

One of the best-positioned companies on the planet right now, SOLR crates solar power manufacturing equipment and is experiencing exponential growth.

MEMC Electronic Materials WFR 16.48 +1.60 (10.75%)

Though sales from the computer side have slowed and overall revenue has also stalled, the coming revival in the solar industry will give WFR new traction.

Alternative Energy Stocks Info, Links to Green Power Company websites:

Photovoltaic Solar Energy Stocks

Wind Power Stocks Investing

Green Energy Mutuals Funds

Solar Power Investing Info

Geothermal Power Stocks

5 Stocks for the post-Bush stock market rally and global economic revovery

Here are 5 stocks that should benefit from better leadership in the democratic world:


First Solar power company, FSLR thin-film solar stock


Vestas of Demark; world's leading wind energy stock


Ormat Tech geothermal power, ORA leading geothermal energy company


Energy Conversion Devices stock, ENER leading green power technology company


SunPower Corp solar panel manufacturer, SPWR solar power stock


Top green energy investing blogs:

Green Power Stocks Investing Website

PV Solar Energy Stocks Investing

Green Energy Stocks; De-coupling from BOTH Oil and the Market?

If clean power investments are to have a record year of capital gains in equity markets, and a lot of lined-up ducks indicate that it's at least a possibility, then the wind power sector is going to have to regain some torque. Photovoltaic solar energy stocks are mostly up sharply from November lows, yet windpower companies find their share prices lagging, and skepticism surrounding their industry. It's temporary, as growth in offshore markets is exponential, and the area of vertical windpower with microturbines (parking lot windpower!!!) is only in initial stages of deployment.

Sexy solar stocks will likely continue to lead, followed shortly by the windpower stocks, then geothermal investments, and eventually biofuels and natural gas.

Do readers feel this will be a great year for clean energy stocks, or are people concerned that wider troubles will make all equity investments even more out of favour?

Solar Energy and Renewable Power Stocks in 2008

Although research, development, sales and installation of major solar projects powered forward in 2008, the year in investment markets saw some early optimism turn into a monstrous series of crushing, debilitating blows. Many solar power stocks are down 70% to 80% from their highs. Windpower companies, geothermal energy stocks, biofuels, fuel cells; the entire clean green energy sector was hit by the double whammy of plummeting oil prices and crashing equity markets.

Here are some alternative energy articles and green renewable power stories about PV thin film solar stocks, top wind energy companies, major geothermal energy stocks and other clean green power investments.

Wind Energy Stocks In 2008; Year In Review 2008 Windpower Summary - Dec 28, 2008

Solar Stocks As An Investment Play On Clean Technology Revolution? - Dec 23, 2008


Seven Green Power Stocks; Best Investments for the Obama Rally - Dec 16, 2008


Green Investors 2009 Investing Guide: Clean Energy Investment Funds - Dec 7, 2008


Best Green Power Stocks for 2009; 12 Top Clean Alternative Energy Stocks - Nov 29, 2008


Green Energy Small Caps; Clean Power Micro Caps


Strong Sales Growth in Photovoltaic Solar Energy Industry - Nov 21, 2008


Private Solar PV Energy Companies Power Technology Forward - Nov 10, 2008

NOV06: Akeena Solar Q3 loss now $5.5M; Revenue exceeds $10.6M, up 31% year over year


OCT25: 6 Green Energy Investment Funds for long term investors


OCT21: Major Publicly-traded Photovoltaic Solar Energy Stocks


Speculative Microcap Geothermal Power Stocks - Oct 19, 2008


Solar-powered Toys, Solar Electronics, Solar Power Tools, Books on Solar Energy - Sep 21, 2008

Solar Energy Investing News; Renewable Power Stocks Funds

The wild and wolly green energy stocks roller-coaster ride continued today as the post-election postmartum returned many clean power shares into bargain territory. Alternative Energy investing is for high risk, longer term investors and medium risk longterm investors may want to consider utilizing green energy mutual funds as a part of the growth equity portion of your portfolio. Consult your advisor.

Here are some green power companies and other alternative energy stocks in the news:

PHOTON "Second Solar" Conference, San Francisco, Dec. 2-4, 2008


NOV06: Akeena Solar Q3 loss now $5.5M; Revenue exceeds $10.6M, up 31% year over year


NOV06: Vestas wind turbine firm expects top line to grow 25% next year

NOV06: GT Solar Reports Results for Q2 2009; Revenue up 71%, Profits Strong


NOV05: 10 Small Cap and Microcap Alternative Energy Stocks


NOV04: AMSC Reports Q2 Loss of $0.10; Hits $40 mil in qrtrly rev


OCT25: 6 Green Power Investment Funds for long term growth


OCT21: Major Publicly-listed Photovoltaic Solar Power Companies



Clean Power Investing Links:

Green Stocks Investing Info

PVintell.com Photovoltaic Solar Energy Stocks

Wind Energy Stocks Investing Info

Geothermal Power Stocks Funds Investing

President Barack Obama set to spark major green energy stocks rally

With Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama expected to win in a landslide victory today, international investors will regain confidence in American equity securities as long-term investments. Year-end rebalancing will mean that many portfolio managers have a fiduciary duty to load up on USA stocks, but which ones will they buy? First, they'll buy the major weights in the major indexes, so they don't risk falling behind if there's a sustained Obama Honeymoon rally.

Next, they'll look for American companies with the best long-term growth potential, and as President Obama has pledged $15 billion per year investment in clean green energy, some names that wil benefit are First Solar, Ormat Tech, Energy Conversion Devices and other renewable power / alternative energy companies.

To learn about the universe of publicly-listed green energy stocks, visit some or all of the following blogs:

Green Energy Stocks Investing Info

WindIntell.com Wind Energy Stocks Investing

Geotherma.info Geothermal Power Company Stocks

PVintell.com Photovoltaic Solar Energy stocks

20 Top Alternative Energy Stocks; Green Investing Info

Some day people will both laugh and marvel that about 15 of these names below once traded at such ridiculously low valuations. Wise ladies and gemtlemen, start your laptops and fire up those lithium-ion batteries, and watch out for the five with the funny numbers on the paper ...

Top 20 Renewable Power Stocks: 24OCT08

VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS VWS.CO: 217DK


First Solar FSLR: 120.53


MEMC Electronic Materials WFR: 18.76


Q-CELLS QCE: 27.19


SunPower Corporation SPWRA: 39.80


Suzlon Energy SUZL: 47.25


LDK Solar LDK: 15.62


Energy Conversion Devices ENER: 30.49


Ormat Technologies ORA: 23.66


JA Solar Holdings JASO: 3.77


GT Solar International SOLR: 4.36


Ener1 Inc. HEV: 7.00


Yingli Green Energy Holding YGE : 3.59


American Superconductor AMSC: 11.12


Evergreen Solar Inc ESLR: 2.58


ReneSola Ltd. (ADR) SOL: 2.58


Canadian Hydro Developers KHD: 3.26


Clean Energy Fuels Corp CLNE: 10.48


Clipper Windpower CWP: 1.87.50p


Raser Technologies RZ: 3.24



Specialist websites for clean energy investing:


Geothermal Power Company Websites Stock Quotes


Photovoltaic Stocks, PV thin film solar power companies


Solar Energy Companies, Renewable Power Investing Info


Master link list of publicly-listed wind energy companies


Green energy stocks, alt-en mutual funds, renewable power ETFs

Yingli Green Energy to supply China Mobile with 1.5MW photovoltaic solar energy

According to GreenStocksCentral.com, YGE came out on top in a recent open-bidding process and is expected to supply over 30% of the photovolatic solar power requirements of China's top mobile phone carrier.

From the excellent green energy investing portal GreenStocksCentral.com:

Yingli Green Energy announced that a Chinese subsidiary, Tianwei Yingli, came out on top in bidding contest to supply photovoltaic products to China’s biggest cell phone company, China Mobile Communications Corp. Tianwei Yingli will supply the cell phone company with 1.5 MW worth of PV modules, over 31% of China Mobile Communications Corp’s latest PV purchases. Yingli expects a supply contract with China Mobile Communications Corp to result from the deal, with the details to be solidified late this month or early next month.

Below are some comments on the deal from Liansheng Miao, president and CEO of Yingli Energy:

We are pleased that China Mobile selected Tianwei Yingli as one of its major PV module suppliers,” said Mr. Liansheng Miao, Chairman and CEO of Yingli Green Energy. “We believe our top quality products, well regarded brand name and solid track record were important factors that helped differentiate us from our competition. We have been working with China Mobile since 2002 when we helped them build some stand-alone solar power base stations in western China. Over the years, we have developed a productive working relationship and we look forward to further deepening it in the future.”


Full article and more info on Yingli Green Energy here


Information on investing in photovoltaic solar energy stocks

Ten stocks for the Obama Rally; Best stocks for American economic revival

For those on the sidelines with cash, the equity markets just get more and more delicious. Oil and gas prices have fallen, as has the US dollar, and all these factors are positioning the USA for perhaps the biggest economic comeback in the history of the world. Like Ali on the ropes, those who sell America short at these levels may be in for a rude awakening.

The USA is a GREAT country with many AMAZING companies, and these names below are among the most forward-thinking companies on earth. Here are ten American companies that are worth considering as turnaround market leader candidates; these are not buy recommendations, but invitations to do research, as these companies are worth looking into.


First Solar (FSLR)

Out of Phoenix AZ, FSLR designs, manufactures solar modules using thin-film semiconductor technology; a thin layer of cadmium telluride used for converting sunlight into electricity. Now at 128, the shares are down over 60%.


Ormat Technologies (ORA)

A true American success story, at 25.90, ORA shares are down over 50% from the high of 57.93. Reno NV firm develops, builds, owns and operates geothermal and recovered energy-based power plants in the United States and geothermal power plants in other countries around the world, and sells the electricity generated by these plants.


General Electric (GE)

World's top company is also a major provider of wind energy, solar power, water purification and many more emerging technologies. At 20.30, the stock is down by half and now yields 6.11%!


Applied Materials (AMAT) Inc.

Diversified USA technology company with the pioneering SunFab thin film solar line of photovoltaic electricity systems. A Silicon Valley stalwart based out of Santa Clara, California, AMAT is a quality tech stock with some leading edge solar power products, and it yields 1.94% at today's close of 12.35.


Google (GOOG)

When the USA and other major global economies rebound from the recent liquidity crunch, Google will still be the major corporate presence online and will thus see an expanded client list. With the shares closing today at 346.01, they are down by more than half. Google remains the number one company in the Internet sector, and seems able to weather any storms at least as well as its competitors.


Home Depot (HD)

An economic revival in the United States of America will mean busy Home Depot stores; housing will get renovated as "fix-er-up-ers" will return to the market and housing stock gets made energy-efficient and retrofitted for the emerging green homes market. Offers building materials, home improvement, lawn and garden products; sells to do-it-yourself, do-it-for-me, and professional, industry clients. At 21.89 HD yields 4.11%.


Energy Conversion Devices (ENER)

Out of Rochester Hills, Michigan, ENER has a long track record of quality and innovation in the USA, and deserves all the success it is getting. A way to invest in solar energy and battery technology in one company, and at 43.65 the shares are down by almost half.


MicroSoft Corp (MSFT)

Software developer famous for its windows operating system, its products include operating systems for servers, personal computers and intelligent devices, plus Xbox 360 video games console and game software. At 23.23, the shares trade at 12.4 times earnings, and yield 2.2%.


MEMC Electronic Materials

This St. Peters, Missouri silicon wafer producer has revenues in the $2 billion range and rapidly growing major customers. At today's close of 20.69 (down from an exuberant 96.08!!!), this extraordinarily profitable silicon provider trades at a crisis multiple of just 7.26 ...


Raser Technologies (RZ)

Raser Tech is a geothermal power development and electric motor company with exciting projects and prospects. At 6.50, the stock is down from 18.44. This Provo Utah firm has the potential to be a significant geothermal power producer in the years and decades to come.

Renewable Power Stocks News; September 2008

Here are some news items and blog posts about alternative energy stocks and renewable power investing in recent weeks:

Renewable Power's Moment of Truth, by Sam Hopkins


Renewable Energy Tax Credits Included in Senate Bailout Package, by Nick Hodge


Renewable Power Industry Calls on Congressional Leadership


UPDATED Master List of Wind Energy Stocks


Clean Energy Search Engine, Renewable Power Stocks Portal


AWEA Position on USA Senate Renewable Energy Tax Proposal


Chrysler launching electric car, jeep, van, by Jeff Siegel


Bargain geothermal energy stocks? 4 geothermal companies worth researching


Wave Power Stocks, Tidal Energy Investing News


Global Water Conservation News, September 2008


Still Early Days for Green Energy Investing


Wind Energy Book Links, Solar Power Publications


4 Wind Power Stocks to Invest in Now, for the long term


Wind Power Stocks by Market Capitalization


Gifts for Greens; Solar Toys, Solar-powered Electronics


Tidal energy stocks, public wave power companies


Water Stocks In The News; Water Purification Investing


All Charged Up - Battery technology stocks worth exploring

Order Holiday gifts Online; Solar-powered Toys, Solar Electronics / Tools, Books on Solar Energy

Solar-powered Toys and Gadgets


Solar-powered hopping frog:



Build a solar car and join the race to save the planet:



Toy Solar Boats and Amphibious solar Toy Vehicles:









Solar Powered Battery Recharger:




eMotion EM-SOL2GIG Solar Powered MP3/Video Portable Media Player with Solar Battery Charger and SD Card Slot:




Solar-powered School Supplies, Charity Gifts


Buy solar-powered calculators for school - ten pack:





Photovoltaic solar power and fuel cell science kits:







Photovoltaic attache case, sun-powered briefcase:




Subscribe to Solar Today magazine online:




Subscribe to Renewable Energy World magazine:




Solar Energy for Home, Cottage, Business

Photovoltaic Solar Garden Lights and Patio Lighting:





Solar-powered camera Home Security System:



Solar-powered products for home pool care:







Solar-electric fence system:








Solar Tools for Home, Garage and Shop


American Red Cross Solar / Windup Flashlight / Radio:




Eton Solar / Windup Cellphone Charger / Radio / Flashlight:





Solar Power Books, Solar Energy Technology Books


Got Sun? Go Solar by Rex Ewing

Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy by Dan Chiras

Photovoltaics for Professionals: Solar Electric Systems Marketing, Design and Installation

The Physics of Solar Cells by Jenny Nelson

Power to Change the World by S.L. Klein

Profiting from Clean Energy by Richard Asplund

Real Goods Solar Living Source Book - 30th Anniversary Edition: Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies

The Solar Economy by author Hermann Scheer

Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes Authors by Duffie and Beckman

The Solar House by Daniel D. Chiras

Solar Power Your Home For Dummies by Rik DeGunther

Solar Water Heating by Bob Ramlow, Benjamin Nusz

Stirring It Up; How To Make Money And Save the World, by Hirshberg

Sun-inspired House by Debra Rucker Coleman

Sun, Wind & Light by G. Z. Brown and Mark DeKay


Thin Film Solar Cells by Jef Poortmans and Vladimir Arkhipov

Applied Materials and SunPower solarize parking lot for clean energy generation

AMAT and SPWR team up to build 21st Century parking lot

This type of photovoltaic power plant above an existing patrking lot is a model that can be replicated many thousands of times over across North America, and may even provide plug-in outlets to power the next generation of electric cars.

Applied Materials (Nasdaq: AMAT) and SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWR) today announced completion of two SunPower solar power systems totaling 2.1 megawatts at Applied Materials' corporate facilities in Sunnyvale, Calif. The systems represent the largest solar power deployment at a corporate facility in the United States.



(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080919/AQF026)

"This is an exciting milestone in the adoption of solar power in
California," said Mike Splinter, President and CEO of Applied Materials (AMAT). "More companies are realizing the wisdom of integrating solar as a non-intrusive, clean, silent form of energy generation into our businesses and communities. We've converted our parking lots to power plants and we encourage others to join us in making solar power a meaningful part of the energy supply."

The system includes a 950 kilowatt SunPower PowerGuard(R) installation and a 1.2 megawatt SunPower(R) Tracker installation atop an elevated parking canopy. The SunPower Tracker follows the sun as it moves across the sky, increasing sunlight capture by up to 25 percent over conventional fixed-tilt systems. Both systems use SunPower solar panels, the most efficient panels available on the market today. SunPower uses Applied Materials' Baccini technology in its solar cell manufacturing process.

Since the first phase of installation in November 2007, Applied reports
that its solar installation has generated 1,413 megawatt hours of power. The system is expected to replace more than 2,700 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, which is equivalent to the annual carbon emissions from approximately 450 passenger cars.

"Applied Materials has joined the ranks of the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Air Force in recognizing the value of solar as a mechanism for reducing exposure to volatile electric rates and promoting energy independence through the use of clean, renewable solar power," said Tom Werner, chief executive officer of SunPower.










Applied's investment is supported by the federal investment tax credit
(ITC) that encourages deployment of renewable energy systems across the
U.S. Due to expire at the end of 2008, Congress is now considering
legislation to extend the ITC.

"Congratulations to the leadership in the U.S. Senate for their efforts
to forge a bipartisan agreement on a long-term extension of the ITC,"
continued Werner. "According to a new study from Navigant Consulting, an
eight-year extension of the ITC would result in the creation of more than
1.2 million job opportunities and $232 billion in investment in the solar
energy sector."





Buy Renewable Energy Books Online

Research Geothermal Power Stocks Info

Invest in Wind Energy Stocks

Solar Energy Stocks by Market Capitalization

Solar Power Stocks Investing Info

A Rough snapshot in time, from Google Finance, closing prices September 12, 2008:


Name Exchange Symbol Mkt Cap


General Electric Co. NYSE GE 266B


Applied Materials Inc. NASDAQ AMAT 21.78B


First Solar, Inc. NASDAQ FSLR 17.18B


Schneider Electric SA EPA SU 15.55B


MEMC Electronic Materials NYSE WFR 7.76B


SunPower Corporation NASDAQ SPWR 7.09B


Q-Cells AG Solar QCLSF 6.7B


Energy Conversion Devices ENER 6.7B


Suntech Power Holdings NYSE STP 6.35B


LDK Solar Co. Ltd. NYSE LDK 4.34B


Cypress Semiconductor Corp NYSE CY 4.23B


SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. OTC SANYY 3.54B


JA Solar Holdings Co. NASDAQ JASO 2.20B


Yingli Green Energy NYSE YGE 1.74B


Fairchild Semiconductor NYSE FCS 1.31B


GT Solar International, NASDAQ SOLR 1.31B


Evergreen Solar Inc. NASDAQ ESLR 1.04B


ReneSola Ltd. (ADR) NYSE SOL 942.89M


Canadian Solar Inc. NASDAQ CSIQ 888.95M


Trina Solar Limited NYSE TSL 701.34M


Ener1 Inc. AMEX HEV 667.66M


Solarfun Power Holdings NASDAQ SOLF 643.60M


China Sunergy Co. Ltd. NASDAQ CSUN 350.22M


Valence Technology Inc. NASDAQ VLNC 301.12M


5N Plus Inc. TSE VNP 284.83M


Ascent Solar Tech NASDAQ ASTI 132.88M


Beacon Power (BCON) energy storage company, Solar energy inverters, flywheel technology


DayStar Technologies NASDAQ DSTI 95.42M


Spire Solar NASDAQ SPIR 78.7B


SIMTEK Corporation NASDAQ SMTK 42.61M


Carmanah Technologies Corporation TSE CMH 42.33M


ZBB Energy Corporation AMEX ZBB 31.54M

more to come!!!

Complete list of publicly-traded wind energy stocks

Search Engine for Alternative Energy Stocks, Green Investing Research

Clean Renewable Power Info Investors Research Network





Search alternative energy stocks, find clean energy company websites, research geothermal power technology, find green energy investment, alternative sources of energy, emerging clean energy companies, wavepower, tidal energy, green mutual funds, clean power stocks, wind energy companies websites links, publicly-traded renewable energy stocks, thin-film photovoltaic solar power websites:

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3 Best Alternative Energy Stocks plus Pundits Picks

My top two renewable power equity investments are very easy for me; I really like the Geothermal energy powerhouse Ormat Technologies, and believe that Suzlon Energy, the windpower giant from India, is another extraordinary long term opportunity. In the near to medium term, the oil price has plenty of downside risk, which will create some short sharp buy-opps on the above two names.

Most people would expect First Solar to be near the top of my list, and though they are an awesome first-mover play in thin film solar, the technology and markets are wide open and everyone already knows about that stock. I'll play safe today and use Vestas as my 3rd pick. They are the number one wind energy company in the fastest growing green power sector.


Here are the 2007/2008 choices of other alternative energy bloggers / writers / analysts:

Tom Konrad AltEnergyStocks.com Dec 2007 #10, 9, 8




Tom Konrad AltEnergyStocks.com Dec 2007 #7, 6, 5, 4



Tom Konrad AltEnergyStocks.com Dec 2007 #3, 2, 1




Andrew Ling Top 5 Alternative Energy Stocks +10 Honorable Mentions



Twenty Top Alternative Energy Stocks from WindIntell.com



Five Alternative-Energy Stock Picks from Jim Jubak



Phillip Lyon likes Beacon Power, at Seeking Alpha

Microturbine and Fuel Cell Technology Companies; Capstone and Fuel Cell Energy

Alternative energy investors are likely familiar with the excellent renewable power investing website www.AltEnergyStocks.com run by Tom Konrad, so some of you may have already read the company profiles below. Turbine manufacturer Capstone Microturbine (CPST) and molten carbonate fuel cell company Fuel Cell Energy (FCEL) are presented in the context of how their clean energy technologies can provide efficiency and find success in the emerging pure fuels economy.

Since it was written, CPST has risen to $2.72, while FCEL has dropped to $6.94, having been clubbed in recent days by widening 3rd quarter losses. Both names may still offer excellent capital gains potential for the speculative and long term investors looking to build diversified portfolios of emerging clean energy technology growth stocks.

Happy Sunday!

Joe T


Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technology, distributed generation

(excerpted from a late '07 post by Tom Konrad on AltEnergyStocks.com)


Capstone Microturbine (NasdaqGM:CPST) $1.62 (30dec07), and

FuelCell Energy Inc. (NasdaqGM:FCEL) $10.30 (30dec07)

I'm bullish on both these companies because I'm bullish on distributed generation and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technologies. My intuition is that 2008 or 2009 will be the year that distributed generation and CHP grab the attention of Wall Street, the way thin-film PV stole the show in 2007. Both FuelCell and Capstone stand to benefit. They may even get a boost from making ethanol production more efficient.

Regular readers may be surprised that I am recommending a fuel cell stock, since I call Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles "a politically inspired boondoggle." But there are more types of fuel cells than hydrogen: molten carbonate or solid oxide fuel cells. FCEL makes a variant of molten carbonate fuel cell, called the Direct Fuel Cell (DFC), a different beast than the hydrogen fuel cells, because it can work without an external mechanism to reform the hydrogen.

FuelCell's DFCs burn methane rather than hydrogen, and are very tolerant not only of low heat content methane (which is often produced in anaerobic digestion or wastewater treatment.) Note that on page 10 of this EPA study [.pdf] of combined heat and power installations at wastewater treatment plants, a 300kW fuel cell requires a less expensive fuel treatment pressurization facility than a much smaller microturbine system. This is almost certainly due to the lower need for fuel pressurization.

Biogas can be a particularly tricky fuel given the presence of impurities such as H₂S and siloxanes which build up as deposits in combustion chambers. Microturbines, fuel cells, and internal combustion engines need fuel treatment if siloxanes (which are usually present in waste water treatment plants as a byproduct of deodorants) are present. Fuel cells and reciprocating engines also require the removal of H₂S. Nevertheless, wastewater treatment facilities combine an abundant source of free fuel (biogas) with a need for heating, and so present excellent opportunities for CHP.

Fuel cells are more efficient (47% fuel to electricity conversion) than comparably sized microturbines (30-35%) or internal combustion generators (about 40%), which not only translates into fuel savings (or higher electricity output), but also leads to only 85% or less CO₂ emissions than the less expensive (per kW) or internal combustion generators. Both microturbines and fuel cells get a large system efficiency boost when the heat is also used; both FuelCell and Capstone claim that their products can reach 80% overall efficiency in a CHP context, while the relatively small size of microturbines and fuel cells are particularly well suited to small scale industrial facilities and commercial buildings.

Rising fuel prices make efficient energy generation important and new fuel sources such as biogas and other waste gasses (such as the Ford plant using a DFC to make electricity from paint fumes) will present opportunities for both DFCs and microturbines in CHP and distributed generation applications. While DFCs have the advantage of working well on low energy content gas, microturbines are better suited to many projects due to their smaller size, and more fuel flexibility. Microturbines are much more tolerant of a wide variety of fuels, and can even handle the H₂S in digester gas, as noted above. Capstone sells versions which can run on liquid fuels such as diesel, propane, and kerosene. While fuel cells also have this capability, they are less tolerant of impurities, and FuelCell does not currently sell products for these markets.

One final advantage for microturbines is their ability to ramp up and down quickly, meaning they can used in remote locations with irregular fuel supplies, or when demand for electricity is not constant. DFCs are less able to ramp up and down because of the need to maintain a high temperature in the fuel cell stacks, so they will only be used when they can be always on, but their ability to supplement biogas with natural gas from the pipeline system still means that they can be used with fuel of variable availability.

FuelCell's DFC and Capstone's microturbines should be able to compete effectively with internal combustion engines in distributed generation applications, since reciprocating engines are too large for many potential projects. Rising energy prices and tightening emissions limits should allow DFCs to slowly increase their market share in a rapidly growing market. Incidentally, there has also been a successful test of a fuel cell/microturbine hybrid system [.pdf], with a Capstone turbine generating electricity from the waste heat of a fuel cell.

Capstone finished 2008 with a year-end surge because of new rules which streamline the installation of microturbines in New York City, but could easily continue higher, if I am right about distributed generation taking off. The new NYC guidelines could easily be one sign of the beginning of this trend. On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised to see a small price retreat in January. It may be wise to wait a couple weeks and see what happens with CPST.

Above analysis excerpted from: 10 Alternative Energy Stocks for 2008

More Renewable Energy Investing links:

WindIntell.com Wind Energy Stocks Investing

Geotherma.info Geothermal Power Investments

Solar Power Stocks, Alternative Energy Companies

Global Clean Energy: Top Ten Renewable Power Stocks

August 2008 Top Ten Alternative Energy Companies

Publicly-traded major green power stocks:


General Electric alternative energy - Leader in wind energy, solar power and water purification


Suzlon Wind energy turbine manufacturer - Only Vestas and GE are in this league


Vestas global windpower leader, gets a premium for its quality wind energy turbines


Ormat Tech USA geothermal power industry leading company


First Solar leading thin film solar energy company


Toyota clean vehicle manufacturer


SunPower Corp solar panel manufacturing company


Q-Cells AG European photovoltaic solar power company


Energy Conversion Devices, USA alternative energy technology company


Honda pioneering clean car technology




More Alternative Energy Investing Links:

Full list of Solar Power Stocks

Publicly-listed Wind Energy Companies

Geothermal Power Stocks Investing

Green Party of Canada enters Canadian Parliament with first MP

Days before a federal election call, independent MP Blair Wilson has officially joined the Greens, thus ensuring Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May will be able to participate in nationally televised election debates. One would hope that this will lead to increased national discussion about wind energy development in Canada, plus geothermal power and other clean energy technologies.

The excerpt below is from an article by Bruce Cheadle of The Canadian Press.

Enjoy the long weekend,

Joe T


Green party announces first federal Member of Parliament

August 30th, 2008

By Bruce Cheadle, The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - The Green party has gained it's first ever federal member of Parliament - even before an anticipated fall election call.

Green party Leader Elizabeth May introduced Independent MP Blair Wilson - a former Liberal first elected in 2006 - as a Green MP at a news conference Saturday morning in the capital.

May characterized the move as an historic moment, and said it provides her fledgling party with an entry into the mainstream media election debates.

"With a Green MP sitting in the House of Commons, it will now be impossible to exclude the Green party from the televised leaders' debates in the next election," said May.

Wilson said he approached the Green party about possible representation only within the past week and "the sun and the moon and stars all lined up," to get him aboard.

The party's 1.5 million votes in the 2006 election, combined with continued strong national polling numbers near 10 per cent and federal byelection results that have placed Green candidates ahead of other mainstream party contenders all point to a legitimate political entity, said May.

"We've established ourselves as a party that cannot be described as fringe."

But whether Wilson ever enters the House of Commons as a Green party MP will likely be determined by voters in his riding of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country later this autumn.

That's no sure thing.

The Vancouver MP resigned from the Liberal caucus last fall after allegations of spending irregularities in his 2006 campaign.

Elections Canada finally cleared Wilson this summer of any improprieties following an eight-month investigation, and May said he shared "deep and detailed" financial information with the Green party over the past week that proves his innocence.

Wilson is also contemplating a defamation suit against family members following an ugly financial dispute.

Wilson won his Vancouver seat, which had been held by Conservative party stalwart John Reynolds, in a tough three-way fight with the Tories and NDP after Reynolds' retired from politics and did not run in 2006.

"Not only do I embrace the policies of my new party, I will feel that all my past difficulties are justified if, by my actions, I can make a real difference by ensuring Elizabeth May is included in the leaders' debates," Wilson said in a statement.

"There is a democracy deficit in Canadian politics and this is one step in restoring effective democracy in Canada".



Full story: Green Party representative in Canada's Parliament