Graphene From Plasma
by Debra Fiakas CFA The corporate literature of Haydale Graphene Industries, Plc. (HAYD: AIM) says graphene material could ‘revolutionize the 21st century.’ Unfortunately, finding an economical way to produce graphene has had some wondering if we might have to wait until the 22nd century to finally gain the benefits of graphene’s numerous superior qualities of strength, flexibility and conductivity. Based in the U.K., Haydale reported an eight-fold increase in sales of its graphene materials in the last six months of 2014. Granted revenue totaling GBP482,000 (USD$737,460) is still small, but the growth lends new credibility to...
Renewable Energy Stocks By The kWh
Tom Konrad CFA Disclosure: Long BEP. Short PEGI $20 and $25 puts, short PEGI $30 and $35 calls, short NYLD $40 and $45 calls. I recently sized up five renewable energy power producers using the metric that’s most often used for solar panels: Dollars per Watt ($/W). It’s an intuitive metric, but has serious flaws both for evaluating solar installations and stocks. Slightly better is Watts per Dollar (or W/$100 to make the numbers look nice) as shown in the chart from that article below. The main advantage of W/$100 over $/W is that it’s additive: I can meaningfully...
Alternative Energy Stocks In 2013: Winners And Losers
By Harris Roen Alternative energy stocks had an epic year in 2013. The widely watched Ardour Global Alternative Energy Index Composite (AGIGL) was up 53% in 2013. That’s double the 26% return for the S&P 500. In fact, 2013 marked the largest annual return for the AGIGL since 2007. In January 2013, I predicted that “…low interest rates and plenty of corporate cash will be a strong driver of stocks in 2013, including the growth industries within alternative energy.” That forecast turned out to be true and then some. This report drills down...
Roadway Revolution: Meet the Smart Highways of the Future
by Giles Kirkland
Even though many states seem to enter the “construction season” every spring, there’s still a significant backlog of vital repairs and improvements needed for state roads, interstates and bridges – around $420 billion worth as of 2017.
Not only are our roads falling apart, there are greater numbers of people in more vehicles on them. But what if, instead of simply following same repaving or rebuilding formula that never seems to catch up, municipalities get “smarter” with their fixes?
Smart cars use the newest technologies to save energy, improve safety, and assist in navigation. Missing from many of the...
Energy Efficiency and Solar Lead Alternative Energy Stocks Skyward
By Harris Roen Industry Day Week Qtr Year Energy Efficiency -0.3% 2.3% 18.7% 49.9% Environmental -0.2% 1.1% 9.8% 11.8% Fuel Alternatives -0.3% 1.3% 19.6% 29.2% Smart Grid -0.1% 2.4% 9.5% 31.9% Solar 0.5% 6.8% 40.3% 52.8% Wind 0.0% 2.1% 9.7% 21.6% Average -0.1% 2.7% 17.9% 32.9% Data as of: 7/17/2013 Alternative energy stocks are up over 30% on average for the year, reflecting impressive gains off of widely oversold lows in 2012. Almost three-quarters of...
The Water Food Energy Climate Nexus (Pt. 1)
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Graftech Manages the Heat of Competition
by Debra Fiakas CFA Products like Graftech's ultra-thin heat spreader help customers manage the heat. Investors think restructuring will help Graftech do the same. Feeling the heat of competition, graphite materials supplier Graftech International Ltd. (GTI: Nasdaq) has initiated a restructuring of sorts. The company’s two highest cost graphite electrode plants will be closed. Those are located in Brazil and South Africa. A machine shop in Russia will also be shuttered. Locks will go on the doors in these locations by the end of...
