Let The Sun Power Your Portfolio

We can all see the writing on the wall. Fossil fuels are dying as an energy source.

A global movement to sustainable “green” energy is gaining momentum … and President Donald Trump’s trade war on solar panels isn’t going to stop it.

Once worshiped as a deity, the sun is truly the once and future king of energy. Solar energy is abundant, free and available practically everywhere.

What’s more, as oil prices rise, and they will rise again this year, the demand for alternatives rises alongside it. In fact, global demand for solar energy and solar panel installations is surging.

In the U.S. alone, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that solar panel installers will see job growth of 105.3% from 2016 to 2026. That rising demand drives investment, lowers production costs and makes these green options cheaper for the general populace.

While solar energy is essentially free, harnessing it isn’t. That’s where companies like First Solar Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) and Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) come in. They provide the solar panels and batteries necessary to convert, store and effectively utilize the sun’s energy.

But there’s no need to follow the crowd when looking for opportunities in this next-generation energy market. There are more than a few outliers and diamonds in the rough that could help your portfolio realize considerable gains this year.

SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWR)

My leading pick for solar investment is one of First Solar’s biggest stateside competitors. SunPower specializes in solar power components, including panels, and offers installation services as well as utility-level power plant systems.

With a focus on installing systems, SunPower stock has taken a beating from the Trump solar tariffs announcement. Most of the company’s components are manufactured overseas in China. Many investors believed that SunPower would escape the worst of the tariffs, and they bid the shares up at the end of 2017 as a result.