Solar cell breakthrough as 30% efficiency barrier falls

Solar cell breakthrough as 30% efficiency barrier falls

This breakthrough in solar power isn’t enough to stop global warming by itself, but it sure is enough to upend the entire energy sector within the next five years. Multiple research groups (and “multiple’ is important here because it means there’s more likelihood that the lab results will hold up to scrutiny. Two groups published the details of their efficiency breakthroughs in the journal Science on Thursday, and at least two others are known to have pushed well beyond 30%.) have reported a breakthrough that will push the efficiency with which solar cells convert sunlight to electricity through the 30% level that has been thought to mark the maximum conversion of sunlight to electricity.

Adding Generac as a short-term trade to my Volatility Portfolio

Adding Generac as a short-term trade to my Volatility Portfolio

I’ve got major questions about Generac’s (GNRC) long-term growth. The company, the dominant player in the market for residential backup electric generators (with about 4 times the market share–or about 75% of the market–of its nearest competitor) faces big questions, in my opinion, about its long-term strategy and its ability to grab significant revenue in the clean energy market where it faces competition from larger companies, more established in the market, such as SolarEdge (SEDG) and Enphase (ENPH). But in the short run? Say, the next two or maybe three (at the outside) months, I say this is a stock that will ride summer storms and heat waves to gains. Especially, if as I project, the company delivers lackluster quarterly earnings when it reports on August 2, but gives very positive guidance for the next quarter or two

Solar cell breakthrough as 30% efficiency barrier falls

Amazingly in this sell off, I think many investors are getting it right on picking “Green” stock winners and losers in days after the Manchin “No”

I’ve learned over the years never to think that a piece of legislation is dead until I’ve seen its proponents cut off its head and bury it at a cross roads with garlic around its neck and a stake through its heart. But I’d certainly entertain the idea that the Biden administration’s Build Back Better plan is dead at the hands of West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin. And that defeat for Build Back Better means a huge set back in efforts to put the U.S. economy on the right side of the battle to temper global climate change. So today’s sell off of companies looking toward federal spending to accelerate growth in those sectors makes perfect sense. Other “Green” stock either didn’t fall or actually rose because growth for those companies isn’t dependent on government subsidies.

New buy-on-the dip targets (as of May 14) for the Dip-O-Meter

Dip-O-Meter update for April 9–time to give “buy on the dip” a rest for a few weeks

Looking at the recent performance numbers on the 20 stocks I’m tracking in my Dip-O-Meter as of the close on Friday April 9, I have to conclude that for most of these stocks it’s time to take a pause on any “buy on the dip” opportunities. What I’m seeing in this sample is a general weakening of the upward bounce on rally days from these stocks–and without a strong bounce on a good day there’s not much reason to buy on the dip.