100 Solar Energy Stocks by Supply Chain and Type (Inverters,Polysilicon,Equipment Thin Film,Panels) – Top and Best Solar Power Shares

Solar Energy is the fastest growing industry in the USA and has been one of the fastest globally as well with solar demand rising by more than 150% in 2010 fueled by massive cuts in prices of solar panels especially those from China.While this has led to a major drop in solar energy stock prices this has also led to a massive boost in volumes due to demand elasticity.Only the top solar companies will be able to survive this brutal consolidation that is taking place with some companies like Solyndra already consigned to the death list.Solar Industry is a global one and has a big supply chain as well.This means that looking at only one stock market will deprive you of better opportunities that might exist in other stock markets.There is also a big supply chain associated especially with crystalline solar panels.There are companies that exist only in Polysilicon,Wafers,Cells,Modules.There are also companies that are suppliers of material like encapsulants and metal alloys to these industries.This article will give you a very broad idea on the complete list of solar energy stocks that exist in each part of the supply and different parts of the world.You can also look at the 2 solar ETFs that trade on the US stock markets TAN and KWT .

SOLAR STOCKS BY SUPPLY CHAIN

Solar Polysilicon Stocks

1. Hemlock (Private Company , JV between Dow and Shin-Etsu,one of the biggest polysilicon producers based in USA)
2. Wacker ( WCH.DE) ( The company is the biggest European producer of polysilicon )
3. OCI Chemicals (0100600.KS) ( This company is targetting to become the global No.1 producer of polysilicon,based in South Korea)
4.  Tokuyama  This Japanese producer has been in the game for long but has been the slowest in expanding capacity
5. Daqo New Energy (DQ) (Small poly producer based in China)
6. Hoku Corporation (HOKU) ( Small poly producer based in USA)
7. Timminco (TIMNF.PK) (Canadian company tried to make it big by Metallurgical Silicon,now a penny stock)

Solar  Wafers Stocks

1. GCL Poly (3800.HK)( The biggest solar wafer producer in the world,trades in Hong Kong,makes polysilicon also)
2. LDK Solar (LDK) ( The second biggest wafer producer,now a major solar panel seller as well,makes polysilicon also)
3. Renesola (SOL) (One of the cheapest solar wafer manufacturers,makes polysilicon also)
4. Renewable Energy Corporation (REC.OL)(Norwegian company producers poly,cells and modules in Singapore)
5. Comtec Solar (0712.HK) ( A Small Wafer Producer in China which makes mostly monocrsytalline wafers)
6. MEMC Electronics ( WFR) ( Company makes semiconductor wafers and is one the biggest US Solar EPC/Integrators)
7. Woongjin Conway (016880.KS)( South Korean Wafer Producer in which Sunpower has a stake)
8. Green Energy Technology (3519.TW) – This Taiwanese producer of solar wafers has left other domestic competitors behind in capacity increase
9. Sino American Silicon (SAS) is one of the oldest wafer producers in Taiwan and supplies to both semiconductor and solar industries)
10. Wafer Works ( 6182.TWO) ( Taiwanese small producer )
11. Danen Technolog (3686.TW)( New small producer of solar wafers)
12. Nexolon  The company is based out of South Korea and is closely associated with the polysilicon giant OCI Chemcials
13. SUMCO( Japanese producer of semiconductor wafers,produces some solar wafers as well)
14. PV Cyrstalox Solar (OVCS.L)( Small German producer of solar wafers,survival in question)

Solar Cells Stocks

1. JA Solar (JASO) ( The Biggest Solar Cell Producer in the World)
2. Gintech (3514.TW) ( Biggest Solar Cell Supplier in Taiwan)
3. Motech (6244.TW) ( Solar Cell Supplier in Taiwan with wafer and poly production as well)
4. E-Ton (3452.TW) ( Survival is in question)
5. Q-Cells (QCE.DE) The largest solar producer of cells in 2008 faced a horrendous 2009 running losses of as high as Euro 1 billion)
6. Neo Solar (3576.TW)(Has been one of the fastest growing solar companies)
7. Del Solar  ( Small Solar Cell Supplier)
8. IndoSolar ( Small Solar Cell Supplier in India)
9. Emcore (EMKR) ( Small Specialist suppliers of High Efficiency Multijunction Cells)

Solar Panels Stocks

1. Suntech (STP) ( The biggest Chinese solar panel producer in the world)
2. Trina Solar (TSL) ( The most valued Chinese solar panel supplier)
3. Yingli Green Energy (YGE) ( Top 3 Chinese solar panel supplier)
4. Jinko Solar (JKS)
5. Canadian Solar (CSIQ) (Despite Canadian in the name is one of the biggest Chinese solar panel suppliers)
6. Sunpower Corporation (SPWRA)( Makes the Most Efficiency Solar Panels,bought by French Giant Total)
7. Hanwha Solar One (HSOL) ( Earlier known as Solarfun,bought by South Korean Conglomerate Hanwha)
8. Sharp ( Biggest Japanese Solar Compan)
9. Sanyo Panasonic( Sanyo plans to invest more than  70% of its total investment over the next  3 years in its renewable energy and energy storage segment)
10. Kyocera(Kyocera is Japan’s second largest solar panel producing company)
11. Mitsubishi( Mistubishi is another old time Japanese solar company which has a low profile solar module and system business)
12. LG (It is selling solar modules in the South Korean and European markets and has 240 MW capacity)
13. Samsung ( The company makes silicon solar cells and panels,will start making poly with MEMC)
14. Hyundai ( The first South Korean company to move int solar panel production)
15. Solarworld (SWV.DE)– Solarworld is the Biggest German producer of solar panels,the company is one of the few to still have operations in Europe and USA)
16. Bosch (Automotive company,made expensive acquisitions,now moving production to Malaysia)
17. Shanghai Chaori Solar Energy (Listed in China,integrated producer of solar panels)
18.  AUO ( AUO has a  JV with SunPower’s to build 1.4 gigawatt third solar cell fabrication facility  in Malaysia)
19. China Sunenergy(CSUN) (A Small China Solar Energy Cell and Panel Supplier)
20. Arise Technologies (Canadian small suppliers of solar panels)
21. BP (Outsources production of solar panels,sells under brandname )

Solar Integrators/Installers Stocks

1. Toshiba ( Has  decided to become a big player in  the Solar EPC business
   
2.  Mitsui (Mitsui,the giant Japanese tradings house bought Sunwize in 2006 to enter the solar system market in the US)
3. Akeena/Westinghouse Solar (WEST) ( The first US Solar Installer to list on the US Stock Exchange)
4.  Real Goods Solar (RSOL)- The second US Solar Installer to list on the Stock exchange
5. Phoenix Solar (PS4.DE)(German installer with operations around the world)
6. Conergy(Once the biggest solar installations company,now fallen on hard times)
7. Juwi Solar (Another German installers,looking to expand internationally)
8. Kerself (KRS.ME)(Small Italian Installer)
9. Solaria Energie(Spanish installer )
10. Solar-Fabrik (SFX.DE)(Small installer,which also makes solar panels and cells)
11. Solon(SOO1.DE)(Another German solar panel and cell maker fallen on hard times)
12. Sunways(SWW.DE)( German company making solar panels,cells and also doing EPC)
13. POSCO (South Korean Steel Giant has started Solar EPC Operations)

Solar Inverters Stocks

1. SMA Solar (S92.DE) The Big Daddy of the Solar Inverter Market with a   40% Marketshare of the Global Market
2. Power-One (PWER)  The US power management company has shown the fastest growth in 2010
3. Schieder Electric (This European Electrical Equipment Giant got into the solar inverter market by buying up Canadian Producer Xantrex.
4. Advanced Energy( AEIS ) which is a US semiconductor company  is also a big manufacturer of solar inverters.
5. Satcon (SATC) (Small USA based solar inverter supplier)
6. Delta Electronics ( Taiwanese company bought Solon solar inverter division)
7. ABB
8. Sputnik Engineering (Swiss maker of solar inverters)

Solar Encapsulants

STRI Holdings ( STRI) ( The biggest suppliers of encapsulants used in solar panels in the world,based in USA)

Solar Material Suppliers

1. 5N PLUS Inc. (VPN.TO) ( Supplier of Cadmium Tellerium which First Solar uses to make Thin Film Solar Panels)
2. Giga Solar ( Taiwane supplier of metallic paste used in Cell Production)

Thin Film Solar Panel Stocks

1. Saint Gobain  ( Sells CIGS panel in JV with Hyundai)
2. TSMC  ( Sells CIGs Panels in association with Stion
3. Solar Frontier – Solar Frontier is a subsidiary of Showa Shell Sekiyu and is listed on the Japanese Stock Exchange
4. Ascent Solar (ASTI)  This US Based Company has a long history of making Thin Film Panels on Flexible Substances
5.  Energy Conversion Devices (ENER) After First Solar,Energy Conversion Devices seemed the mostly likely viable company in Thin Film Technology
6. Honda ( Small CIGs Panel Sellers)
7. General Electric(GE) ( The company is not only a big Solar Developer but also going to sell Cd-Te Panels)
8. Trony Solar (2468.HK)) (Trony Solar is the largest Solar Thin Film Producer in China)
9. Kaneka (Japanese company producing amorphous silicon solar panels)
10. Chint ( Producers Thin Film Solar Panels under Astroenergy Name)

Solar Equipment Stocks

1. GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) ( US based supplier of polysilicon and wafer equipment to Chinese companies)
2. Applied Materials (AMAT) ( The biggest semicap company is also the No.1 solar equipment seller in the world)
3. Meyer Burger (MBTN.SW) ( Swiss company recently bought Roth &Rau)
4. Centrotherm (CTN.DE) ( One of the top 3 solar equipment sellers based in German)
5. Manz Automation (M5Z.DE)( Another small German company
6. Oerlikon  (Swiss company makes solar equipment for producing amorphous solar thin film panels)

Read the following for  Solar Stocks List by Country

Also Read the Solar Thermal Stocks