Investing in Solar Installers - The Other Side of Solar

It's fair to say that, so far, solar installers have been the red-headed stepchild of the renewable energy investment world.

Their counterparts, module manufacturers and silicon suppliers, have been in a noticeably different boat. And rightly so.

You know the stories by now: First Solar, SunPower, and MEMC Electronic Materials. The list goes on.

And while some are still busy touting those stocks, their explosive potential has long passed. Don't get me wrong, there is still money to be made there—good, safe, clean, green money. Their classification is simply being shifted from 'growth stock' to 'value stock.'

Those are exactly the kind of stocks now covered by Green Chip Stocks—more stable, established green companies, capable of delivering good value over time. The smaller, more speculative plays now reside with the Alternative Energy Speculator.

When it comes to growth stocks in the solar space, I think investing in solar installers is the perfect place to look, given current market and legislative conditions.

By Nick Hodge