John McNay, portfolio manager of Essex Investment Management, provided some good investment ideas on the evolving high-tech power business in this weekend's Barron's Magazine (subscription required). A few of these we blogged about in the past, but they're worth noting again.- Sunpower Corporation (NASDAQ: SPWR), the Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE: CY) spin off, makes semiconductors for solar cells and solar panels
- MEMC Electronic Materials Inc (NYSE: WFR) makes the polysilicon that is needed to manufacture the solar cells and panels based on semiconductor technology
- Suntech Power Holdings (NYSE: STP), First Solar Inc (NASDAQ: FSLR), Canadian Solar Inc (NASDAQ: CSIQ) and Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL) were other stocks mentioned.
TJ Rodgers, Cypress Semiconductor's CEO, referred to Sunpower as Intel during the 1970s. That is a big statement. This is an important industry that will get a lot of investors' attention during the next five years. Solar energy utilizing semiconductor technology is an investment theme that is still in its very early stages.
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