Power Light has recently made headlines working in conjunction with Wal-Mart to assist the retail giant’s move toward solar power in seven of their Southern California retail locations. The Sun Power subsidy is the global leader in the production of large-scale solar power systems. Could there possible be a better match between these two industry leading juggernauts?

According to Power Light’s fact page, since 1995 their company has designed, developed and delivered more large-scale solar power systems than any other global supplier. With over ten years experience and backed by industry leader Sun Power, Power Light stands to gain a number of lucrative contracts. In fact on June 6^th this year the Sun Power subsidy linked arms with Macy’s in a deal that will introduce solar power into 26 Macy’s locations. Time to make some room in that diversified portfolio for Power Light.

How can we talk solar power without mentioning General Electric? Being in the energy business since what may as well be the dawn of time, GE is one of the global leaders in solar module development. In fact, GE offers a number of systems for both residential and commercial buildings that utilize their state of the art modules as well as industry leading life cycle service.

General Electric has been the cornerstone of the energy industry for many years and has made impressive inroads into renewable energy since its inception. With that said, and record second-quarter earnings from continuing operations of $5.4 billion or $0.52 per share, up 12% and 13%, respectively, why would you look anywhere else for a top notch performer?

United Solar Ovonics is a wholy owned subsidy of ECD Ovonics and just happens to specialize in the ever-growing solar energy industry. As the industry leader in the production of amorphous photovoltaics technology, USO currently operates the worlds most complex and efficient silicon film solar cell manufacturing plant.

Creating the solar cells that will power the future, United Solar Ovonics has opened several new production plants in Michigan and plans to unviel more in 2008, to meet the growing demand for their services and expertise. I would expect ECD’s United Solar Ovonics shares to rebound strong over the next quarter and find their way back to $35-40 per share by years end.

Using their state of the art “String Ribbon” wafer technology, Evergreen Solar is the premier choice in solar panel manufacturing. Not only is Evergreen Solar one of the most trusted names in the industry, they are also producers of the most environmentally friendly solar panels due to intricacies of design and production.

In fact, things are going so well for Evergreen Solar that they are opening up a new manufacturing plant in Massachusetts to assist the businesses financial supernovae of 2006. That aforementioned supernovae I am referring to is the almost $100 million dollars in increased sales Evergreen Solar accumulated through a joint venture in Europe last year. The future really is green for both Evergreen Solar and their investors.

In a world where almost anything is possible, Spire Corporation has made an interesting shift from Biomedics into the ever-growing realm of solar energy production. Although Spire Corp. isn’t introducing a vast array of solar power systems, they are making their mark in photovoltaics system development.

Spire Corp. is the worlds largest developer of turnkey photovoltaic production lines that create fully customized photovoltaic power systems. Leading the market in technology and innovation since the mid 80’s, Spire Corp. is the prefered choice of nearly 90% of photovoltaic module manufacturers worldwide. With company revenues that have increased from 14.8 to 22.4 million over the last five years, Spire Corp. is an excellent pickup for the savy investor.

Kyocera has reinvented itself in the form of, yes you guessed it, Kyocera Solar. Although Kyocera is not necesarily known for their solar prowess however they have been in the industry for a while and are rapidly becoming one of the leaders in vertically-integrated production and distribution. Filling the need for uninterupted power in regards to pipeline monitoring, water pumping and off-grid residential electricity, Kyocera is rapidly developing designs for components to supplement such systems.

The majority of Kyocera’s products are sold outright to manufacturers who incorporate them into their own products, whereas their direct consumer related good are most often sold to various distributors and wholesalers. Kyocera’s introduction into the solar energy market will likely yield great dividends for shareholders and solar power enthusiasts alike.

With their collective fingers in many pies, Siemens has a variety of dimensions. From automotive systems to medical engineering to solar power, Siemens is truly a global solutions company. With the mantle of global leader in photovoltaic cell technology, Siemens boasts a hefty 200 megawatts of solar power installed worldwide.

With solid corporate governance and a performance outlook leading well into the next decade, Siemens remains focused on maintaining their leadership role in the plethora of industries that they are immersed in. One can only wonder as to what innovations will be unveiled this time next year by Siemens and their affiliates.

First Solar Inc. is the largest thin film photovoltaic manufacturer in the world, due to their capacity of 75-megawatt distribution. In addition to boasting the aforementioned feats, FSI achieved an average of 9% PV module efficiency in 2005, which is a remarkable benchmark in the industry.
With the inception of their ultra thin PV film technology in early 2007, First Solar Inc. has had investors foaming at the mouth to get in on the action. Having begun 2007 with shares valued at a mere $25 dollars, First Solar Inc. has climbed to an astonishing $127.30 as of this entry. Clearly, the leadership at FSI has the knowledge and drive to be leaders in the solar power industry for years to come.