Aug 23-27: Dow, NASDAQ, Solar Slip

20 Solar Stocks Index Week of August 23-27, 2010

	Monday Open	Friday Close	Up/Down	% Change	Close 1/5/09*	Close 3/6/09**
Dow Jones DJIA	10215.62	10150.65	-64.97	-.6400%	8952.89	6626.95
NASDAQ	2179.76	2153.63	-26.13	-1.213	1628.03	1293.85
Amtel Systems ASYS	14.31	13.69	-.62	-4.528	4.00	2.73
Applied Materials AMAT	11.09	10.69	-.40	-3.741	10.67	8.70
Canadian Solar CSIQ	11.78	11.49	-.29	-2.523	7.00	3.0601
ECD (UniSolar) ENER	4.16	4.13	-.03	-.7263	29.33	17.45
Entech Solar ENSL.OB	.10	.08	-.02	-25.00	.28	.23
Evergreen Solar ESLR	.64	.66	+.02	+3.125	3.60	1.03
First Solar FSLR	125.03	128.88	+3.85	+3.079	157.80	108.49
GT Solar Int. SOLR	7.64	7.70	+.06	+.7853	4.00	4.02
JA Solar JASO	5.69	6.01	+.32	-5.623	5.09	1.91
Kyocera KYO	87.79	85.66	-2.07	-2.486	71.87	54.21
LDK Solar LDK	7.01	7.00	-.01	-.1428	14.84	4.40
MEMC Elect. WFR	10.48	10.67	+.19	+1.812	15.76	13.68
Renesola SOL	7.89	8.35	+.46	+5.830	5.15	2.1201
Satcon SATC	3.27	3.26	-.01	-.3067	1.60	1.23
SolarFun SOLF	10.26	10.66	+.40	+3.898	6.12	2.30
SunPower SPWRA	10.49	11.22	+.73	+6.959	45.13	23.39
SunTech STP	8.18	7.91	-.27	-3.413	13.55	5.34
Trina Solar TSL	23.01	25.41	+2.40	+10.43	10.09	7.23
Westinghouse Solar (Akeena) WEST	.6999	.63	-.0699	-11.09	2.28	.61
Yingli YGE	10.91	11.21	+.30	+2.749	7.25	3.888
20SSI Weekly Cumulative:	Previous 360.43	Current 356.96	Change -3.47/-.9720%	Avg Stock -2.55%***	1/05/09* 415.41	3/06/09** 266.01

* The starting date of the 20 Solar Stock Index (20SSI).
** The Concensus "new" bull market began on Monday, March 9, 2009.
*** Starting 6/11/10: In order to arrive at a truer stock gain/loss percentage, stocks with the highest percentage gain and worst drop are eliminated from the average.
NOTE: All above stocks have market capitalization of $100M+ except Westinghouse Solar (formerly Akeena), Amtel Systems
and Entech Solar. This listing is strictly informational and implies neither endorsement or disapproval of any stock listed. Comments are always welcome.

5kW Home PV System: $16,078 Installed After Incentives

Use the AC without the worry...

Southern California is seeing some toasty temperatures right now. But staying cool today can mean some hefty electricity bills next month. Smart people are staying cool by going solar.

My previous post told about unprecedented low prices on solar panels this year. Add this factor to the CA solar rebate and the 30% federal solar tax credit, and staying cool this time of year can mean less sticker shock from your electricity bill.

This is a typical 5-kilowatt system that will meet most of the electrical needs of the average family of four in San Diego. Solar orientation, roof type, roof pitch, and possible shading issues could change this configuration and output.

22 Sunpower Serengeti 228Wdc panels
1 Sunpower 5000W inverter
1 Set standard racking for asphalt shingle roof (tile roof slightly more)
385 Minimum square feet of roof space required for panels

Actual size: 5016Wdc 4244Wac (after inversion)
Production: 7573 Kilowatt hours per year: 631 kWh/month average

$25,798: Clary Solar cash price (including tax)
-2,830: CSI rebate*
$22,968: Net After Rebate
-6,890: 30% Fed Tax Credit
$16,078: Net Total Cost

* CA Solar Initiative for SDG&E customers (Step 7: .65/Wac); SCE customers would get $6544 (Step 5: $1.55/Wac)

Financing options--Unsecured loans

Clary also offers a 12 months same-as-cash option up to $45,000. This option has no application fee and no pre-payment penalty. It basically gives the buyer a year of free electricity

Another route is the 5/15 loan, which is a five-year loan amortized at 15 years. There is a balloon payment at the end of the fifth year or the option refinance as another unsecured loan or tied to home equity at that time. Interest tied to FICO score--680 minimum preferred.
Again, both loans are unsecured requiring no home equity.

Further information can be obtained from David Brands at david@clarysolar.com.

Solar Pricing at Historical Lows

Industry continues to rise...

Last January saw solar panel pricing hit historical lows worldwide. As a result and despite the economy, the solar photovoltaic industry is having a pretty good year both at the commercial and residential levels.

Granted, the California Solar Initiative's rebates have triggered down to rather meager levels and some say this has tempered the fall of panel pricing in the state with the country's largest monetary stake in solar power. This writer disagrees.

Competition in California for solar business has never been fiercer. Since the nation's financial debacle nearly two years ago, scores of electrical contractors around the country who lost new-construction or repair work or simply ignored PV, have now jumped into PV with both feet.

PV and Growth

Furthermore, as the solar industry is one of the few growth sectors in the nation's staggering economy, PV equipment makers and marketers continue streaming into California and neighboring states. Fueled by the federal solar investment tax credit and renewable energy standards demanded by state governments on utilities, the PV picture gets rosier. Finally, the cost of electricity continues to rise, though at a rather stilted pace for the time being. In short, everybody who's anybody in solar is in or coming to California. And it's spreading.

Solar and Wall Street

Solar stocks, as can be seen in this blog's weekly update, have traveled much the same path as other tech issues. To be sure, solar stock prices are down from pre-crisis levels in 2008 but so are virtually every other stock on Wall Street. Still, there have been more solar start-ups and few failures worldwide and more foreign PV manufacturers are setting up plants stateside. Besides, after a generation of stupendous growth in the stock market, investors are eschewing risk and looking more to bonds for safety, anyway.

Solar Financing

When this writer began selling solar installations in 2002, most prospects had plenty of home equity. They could get an easy $50,000 home equity line of credit with a simple phone call to their bank. Those days are gone, of course, so the PV industry had to get creative. Since then solar manufacturers and dealers have answered the soft market with leasing options, same-as-cash unsecured "bridge" loans, and more standard--and unsecured--term loans.

So, believe it or not, it's a good time to go solar.

How good is it? Find out in my next post.

Aug 16-20: Dow Slips; NASDAQ, Solar Eke Gains

Continued weak economic news

The Dow Jones Industrial Average posted a second-straight week of losses, although this week was much less severe than last. The Dow slipped 89.53 points to finish at 10214, a 2.98% drop from last week. The NASDAQ index picked up just over 6 points to finish at 2178, a .3% rise. The 20 Solar Stocks Index composite gained a trifling 2.13 points to end at 360.43 or .6%.

MarketWatch reports the drop in the Euro shows a continuing sovereign debt problem abroad. Better corporate news was countered by weaker-than-expected economic data for a push-pull week of trading on Wall Street. Solar's biggest gainer in the 20SSI was Amtel Systems, up over 12%.

According to MarketWatch, some investors remained optimistic charging that too much reliance was placed on short-term jobs data, although volatility in stock prices should remain through the fall.

20 Solar Stocks Index Week of August 9-13, 2010

	Monday Open	Friday Close	Up/Down	% Change	Close 1/5/09*	Close 3/6/09**
Dow Jones DJIA	10303.15	10215.62	-89.53	-2.968%	8952.89	6626.95
NASDAQ	2173.48	2179.76	+6.28	+.2889	1628.03	1293.85
Amtel Systems ASYS	11.92	14.31	+2.39	+12.03	4.00	2.73
Applied Materials AMAT	11.17	11.09	-.04	-.7213	10.67	8.70
Canadian Solar CSIQ	11.59	11.78	+.19	+1.639	7.00	3.0601
ECD (UniSolar) ENER	4.22	4.16	-.06	-1.442	29.33	17.45
Entech Solar ENSL.OB	.10	.10	NC	0	.28	.23
Evergreen Solar ESLR	.62	.64	+.02	+3.225	3.60	1.03
First Solar FSLR	124.52	125.03	+.51	+.4095	157.80	108.49
GT Solar Int. SOLR	7.95	7.64	-.31	-4.057	4.00	4.02
JA Solar JASO	5.77	5.69	-.08	-1.405	5.09	1.91
Kyocera KYO	87.80	87.79	-.01	-.0113	71.87	54.21
LDK Solar LDK	7.27	7.01	-.26	-3.708	14.84	4.40
MEMC Elect. WFR	10.47	10.48	+.01	+.0955	15.76	13.68
Renesola SOL	7.48	7.89	+.41	+5.481	5.15	2.1201
Satcon SATC	3.23	3.27	+.04	+1.238	1.60	1.23
SolarFun SOLF	10.28	10.26	-.02	-.1949	6.12	2.30
SunPower SPWRA	12.07	10.49	-1.58	-15.06	45.13	23.39
SunTech STP	8.75	8.18	-.57	-6.968	13.55	5.34
Trina Solar TSL	21.76	23.01	+1.25	-5.744	10.09	7.23
Westinghouse Solar (Akeena) WEST	.7721	.6999	-.0722	-10.31	2.28	.61
Yingli YGE	10.56	10.91	+.35	+3.314	7.25	3.888
20SSI Weekly Cumulative:	Previous 358.30	Current 360.43	Change +2.13/+.5944%	Avg Stock -1.02%***	1/05/09* 415.41	3/06/09** 266.01

* The starting date of the 20 Solar Stock Index (20SSI).
** The Concensus "new" bull market began on Monday, March 9, 2009.
*** Starting 6/11/10: In order to arrive at a truer stock gain/loss percentage, stocks with the highest percentage gain and worst drop are eliminated from the average.
NOTE: All above stocks have market capitalization of $100M+ except Westinghouse Solar (formerly Akeena), Amtel Systems
and Entech Solar. This listing is strictly informational and implies neither endorsement or disapproval of any stock listed. Comments are always welcome.

Aug 9-13: Dow, NASDAQ, Solar Suffer Losses

Major indexes down 3-5%

Stocks slumped this week when soft economic data and a down Federal Reserve statement continued to spur fears that a slipping economic recovery could give way to a double-dip recession, according to today's MarketWatch weekly wrap-up.

The Fed reverse itself from just two weeks ago when in proclaimed the economy was gaining some strength. It's a stark reminder that the Fed has power to affect investor confidence.

The Dow was down 350 points to 10303, a 3.4% drop for the week. NASDAQ shares were off over 5% with a 115-point slide to 2173. Issues in the 20 Solar Stocks Index (20SSI) fell 17 points since last Friday to a close of 358, a 4.86% drop.

20 Solar Stocks Index Week of August 9-13, 2010

	Monday Open	Friday Close	Up/Down	% Change	Close 1/5/09*	Close 3/6/09**
Dow Jones DJIA	10653.56	10303.15	-350.41	-3.40%	8952.89	6626.95
NASDAQ	2288.47	2173.48	-114.99	-5.290	1628.03	1293.85
Amtel Systems ASYS	10.64	11.92	+1.28	+12.03	4.00	2.73
Applied Materials AMAT	11.84	11.17	-.67	-5.998	10.67	8.70
Canadian Solar CSIQ	13.36	11.59	-1.77	-15.27	7.00	3.0601
ECD (UniSolar) ENER	5.24	4.22	-1.02	-24.17	29.33	17.45
Entech Solar ENSL.OB	.12	.10	-.02	-20.00	.28	.23
Evergreen Solar ESLR	.70	.62	-.08	-12.90	3.60	1.03
First Solar FSLR	129.34	124.52	-4.82	-3.870	157.80	108.49
GT Solar Int. SOLR	8.00	7.95	-.05	-.6289	4.00	4.02
JA Solar JASO	6.49	5.77	-.72	+9.075	5.09	1.91
Kyocera KYO	92.08	87.80	-4.28	-4.874	71.87	54.21
LDK Solar LDK	7.35	7.27	-.08	-1.100	14.84	4.40
MEMC Elect. WFR	9.98	10.47	+.49	+4.908	15.76	13.68
Renesola SOL	7.99	7.48	-.51	-6.818	5.15	2.1201
Satcon SATC	3.47	3.23	-.24	-7.430	1.60	1.23
SolarFun SOLF	10.66	10.28	-.38	-3.696	6.12	2.30
SunPower SPWRA	12.82	12.07	+.75	+6.213	45.13	23.39
SunTech STP	9.52	8.75	-.77	-8.800	13.55	5.34
Trina Solar TSL	23.77	21.76	-2.01	-9.237	10.09	7.23
Westinghouse Solar (Akeena) WEST	.8203	.7721	-.0482	-6.242	2.28	.61
Yingli YGE	11.38	10.56	-.82	-7.765	7.25	3.888
20SSI Weekly Cumulative:	Previous 375.57	Current 358.30	Change -17.27/-4.8%	Avg Stock -4.86%***	1/05/09* 415.41	3/06/09** 266.01

* The starting date of the 20 Solar Stock Index (20SSI).
** The Concensus "new" bull market began on Monday, March 9, 2009.
*** Starting 6/11/10: In order to arrive at a truer stock gain/loss percentage, stocks with the highest percentage gain and worst drop are eliminated from the average.
NOTE: All above stocks have market capitalization of $100M+ except Westinghouse Solar (formerly Akeena), Amtel Systems
and Entech Solar. This listing is strictly informational and implies neither endorsement or disapproval of any stock listed. Comments are always welcome.

July 2-6: Dow, NASDAQ, Solar Show Strong Gains

Will Fed Reserve boost economy?

Despite a dip on Friday, strong gains for U.S. stocks were still intact. Investors absorbed worsening job losses in July in hopes the Federal Reserve may take steps to boost the economy next week, according to Marketwatch yesterday.

The Dow jumped 188 points to end at 10654 Friday, a 1.8% gain for the week. NASDAQ gained nearly 34 points to finish at 2288, a 1.5% gain. The 20 Solar Stocks Index gained nearly 27 points to end Friday a 376, a 7.7% spurt for the week.

Solar's biggest gainers were LDK Solar and SolarFun.

On July 23, Akeena Solar took the name of a giant to help boost its appeal. Today Akeena is known as Westinghouse Solar, although the new name has not provided a bump in the stock price, so far.

20 Solar Stocks Index Week of August 2-6, 2010

	Monday Open	Friday Close	Up/Down	% Change	Close 1/5/09*	Close 3/6/09**
Dow Jones DJIA	10465.94	10653.56	+187.62	+1.792%	8952.89	6626.95
NASDAQ	2254.70	2288.47	+33.77	+1.497	1628.03	1293.85
Amtel Systems ASYS	10.08	10.64	+.56	+5.555	4.00	2.73
Applied Materials AMAT	11.80	11.84	+.04	+.3389	10.67	8.70
Canadian Solar CSIQ	12.10	13.36	+1.26	+10.41	7.00	3.0601
ECD (UniSolar) ENER	4.84	5.24	+.40	+8.264	29.33	17.45
Entech Solar ENSL.OB	.12	.12	NC	0	.28	.23
Evergreen Solar ESLR	.66	.70	+.04	+6.060	3.60	1.03
First Solar FSLR	125.45	129.34	+3.89	+3.100	157.80	108.49
GT Solar Int. SOLR	6.48	8.00	+1.52	+22.69	4.00	4.02
JA Solar JASO	5.95	6.49	+.54	+9.075	5.09	1.91
Kyocera KYO	89.44	92.08	+2.64	+2.951	71.87	54.21
LDK Solar LDK	6.53	7.35	+.82	+12.55	14.84	4.40
MEMC Elect. WFR	9.56	9.98	+.32	+4.393	15.76	13.68
Renesola SOL	7.58	7.99	+.41	+5.408	5.15	2.1201
Satcon SATC	3.72	3.47	-.25	-7.204	1.60	1.23
SolarFun SOLF	9.46	10.66	+1.20	+12.68	6.12	2.30
SunPower SPWRA	12.43	12.82	+.39	+3.137	45.13	23.39
SunTech STP	9.95	9.52	-.43	-4.516	13.55	5.34
Trina Solar TSL	21.74	23.77	+2.03	+9.337	10.09	7.23
Westinghouse Solar (Akeena) WEST	.83	.8203	-.0097	-1.182	2.28	.61
Yingli YGE	10.95	11.38	+.43	+3.926	7.25	3.888
20SSI Weekly Cumulative:	Previous 348.76	Current 375.57	Change +26.81/+7.7%	Avg Stock +4.57%***	1/05/09* 415.41	3/06/09** 266.01

* The starting date of the 20 Solar Stock Index (20SSI).
** The Concensus "new" bull market began on Monday, March 9, 2009.
*** Starting 6/11/10: In order to arrive at a truer stock gain/loss percentage, stocks with the highest percentage gain and worst drop are eliminated from the average.
NOTE: All above stocks have market capitalization of $100M+ except Westinghouse Solar (formerly Akeena), Amtel Systems
and Entech Solar. This listing is strictly informational and implies neither endorsement or disapproval of any stock listed. Comments are always welcome.