# I Want to Invest in Alternative Energy. Where to Begin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2008, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983 "2008-08-14T15:19:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/1 "2008-08-14T15:19:27Z")
The title pretty much says it all. I’m going to save up some money and buy some stock in some alternative energy companies. The thing is, I literally cannot name even one company that is involved in wind, solar, or any other kind of alternative energy. Does anyone know of any mutual funds that encompass alternative energy companies? Failing that, does anyone know any names of any companies involved in alternative energy? TIA ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/2 "2008-08-14T16:40:39Z")
[T. Boone Pickens](http://www.pickensplan.com/) has been advertising like crazy. I don’t think the guy is nuts; I saw him on PBS, and he sounds like he has a realistic and probably profitable plan. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/3 "2008-08-14T18:01:14Z")
How about PZD (ticker) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/4 "2008-08-14T20:14:39Z")
The somewhat volatile [GAAEX](http://finance.google.com/finance?q=gaaex) mutual fund invests largely in alternative energy companies in the US and abroad. It’s a risky market and the expense ratio is high. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/5 "2008-08-14T20:32:20Z")
[http://www.profitingfromcleanenergy.com/EtfsAndFunds.asp](http://www.profitingfromcleanenergy.com/EtfsAndFunds.asp) ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/6 "2008-08-14T22:35:45Z")
[QUOTE=Oy!] [T. Boone Pickens](http://www.pickensplan.com/) has been advertising like crazy. I don’t think the guy is nuts; I saw him on PBS, and he sounds like he has a realistic and probably profitable plan. [/QUOTE] Except that, on his website, I could find absolutely nothing about investment opportunities. Even his company, Mesa Energy (which I had to dig to even find the name of), doesn’t seem to have any presence on any major market (at least, not that I could find by searching Yahoo! Finance or [etrade.com](http://etrade.com)). ---
**Author:** ![Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Key_Lime_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/7 "2008-08-14T23:21:44Z")
The big manufacturers of PV panels are Kyocera, Mitsubishi, Sanyo, and BP. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/8 "2008-08-14T23:24:50Z")
[sup]\*[/sup][Solarfun](http://finance.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:SOLF) [Evergreen Solar](http://finance.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:ESLR) [First Solar](http://finance.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:FSLR) [LDK Solar](http://finance.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:LDK) [Canadian Solar](http://finance.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:CSIQ) [Rena Solar](http://finance.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:SOL) Many more… They all look undervalued to me, and LDK just announced monster earnings on Monday, beating Wall Street estimates tri fold. Sadly, that pumped all of them up, and the time to have jumped in for short term gains was Monday. But for long term investment, I think they look pretty good. In a couple years I’d be worried about big boys like GE muscling them out, but for now, they are making millions, and their P/E ratios look silly, better than most stocks out there. But of course there is risk. If oil plummets, interest will quickly fade. And the sector is immature, and a hot stock one day can get it’s butt kicked by invention and innovation the next. Do your research and look closely at financials. The whole alternative energy sector kinda looks like the early wild west days of dot com, only with real earnings and real product. IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I own several shares of some of the stocks listed. I am in no way a stock or investment expert. I just fiddle with some spare money that I had years ago that I have done okay with. You should never take serious financial investment advice from a message board, ESPECIALLY stock and financial message boards. I am not a Nurse. I am not a Carmen. I ate clay once when I was young, because I thought it was chocolate. For professional advice, pay a professional. For free advice, you get what you pay for. I have no relationship to any of the above listed companies aside from owning from of their stocks. I just farted. I am kind of running out of disclaimers. You may have noticed this. ---
**Author:** ![LonghornDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@LonghornDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonghornDave)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/9 "2008-08-14T23:27:43Z")
[QUOTE=HeyHomie] Except that, on his website, I could find absolutely nothing about investment opportunities. Even his company, Mesa Energy (which I had to dig to even find the name of), doesn’t seem to have any presence on any major market (at least, not that I could find by searching Yahoo! Finance or [etrade.com](http://etrade.com)). [/QUOTE] I believe that his former exploration and production company, Mesa, was sold to Pioneer in the mid '90s. His company is really BP Capital, which is essentially a hedge fund. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/10 "2008-08-14T23:44:59Z")
This probably should be money you’re willing to lose every penny. Take a quick look at a couple of solar stocks. CSIQ Canadian Solar. Reached a high of 51.80 now trading at 28.70 ESLR Evergreen Solar. Reached a high of 18.85 now trading at 9.42 Why buy stocks that have lost half their value? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/11 "2008-08-15T00:02:11Z")
[QUOTE=dalej42] Why buy stocks that have lost half their value? [/QUOTE] **Psssst!** Buy low. Sell high. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/12 "2008-08-15T02:36:19Z")
[QUOTE=NurseCarmen] But of course there is risk. If oil plummets, interest will quickly fade. [/QUOTE] I think the chances of oil plummeting permanently are just about zero. On the other hand, as you mentioned further on, the chances of any particular alternative energy technology being overtaken and surpassed by something else, even though it may not be quite as good (like Betamax vs. VHS for those old enough to remember), is always present. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_fight_the_hypothetical)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/13 "2008-08-15T02:46:58Z")
[QUOTE=Oy!] [T. Boone Pickens](http://www.pickensplan.com/) has been advertising like crazy. I don’t think the guy is nuts; I saw him on PBS, and he sounds like he has a realistic and probably profitable plan. [/QUOTE] I don’t know the first thing about it (haven’t had time to check it out) but there is a [lot of this stuff](http://dontgomovement.com/2008/08/11/nancy-pelosi-invests-in-energy-scheme-and-water-grab-by-t-boone-pickens/) making the rounds on the intrawebs about T. Boone. [sup]ETA: I was sent these links by a ‘friend’ - I don’t frequent those sites myself…[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/14 "2008-08-15T02:50:38Z")
[QUOTE=Oy!] I think the chances of oil plummeting permanently are just about zero. On the other hand, as you mentioned further on, the chances of any particular alternative energy technology being overtaken and surpassed by something else, even though it may not be quite as good (like Betamax vs. VHS for those old enough to remember), is always present. [/QUOTE] [hijack] I was told by a guy that worked in television for some years that Betamax never actually died. It was more expensive than VHS so it never broke into the home market, but studio and TV, who need quality video, went with Betamax. I can’t testify to the truth of this claim, however [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/15 "2008-08-15T04:17:29Z")
[QUOTE=IntelSoldier] [hijack] I was told by a guy that worked in television for some years that Betamax never actually died. It was more expensive than VHS so it never broke into the home market, but studio and TV, who need quality video, went with Betamax. I can’t testify to the truth of this claim, however [/hijack] [/QUOTE] Nonetheless, I suspect the stock of companies making Betamax probably took a nosedive. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-invest-in-alternative-energy-where-to-begin/459983/16 "2008-08-15T04:33:41Z")
Have you considered investing in actual alternative energy-producing equipment? For example, some neighbors near my mothers farm have installed a tower with a wind generator on it. It was indeed a sizable investment (several thousand dollars), but it is working to deliver energy, and is paying back toward their investment already, and will continue to do so for many years.