Investing in Quantum Dot Solar

The year was 2009…

I was fielding dozens of questions at the end of a presentation I did about the future of solar.

There were only about 50 people in the room — mostly private equity guys that showed up with their $5,000 Bulgari watches and high-heeled mistresses disguised as personal assistants.

If I remember correctly, it was a few grand to get into the meeting. And of course, it was held in one of those high-end luxury meeting rooms in Manhattan.

At the time, most folks were sour on solar. The market had just imploded, and the last thing they wanted to do was invest in something so risky.

Of course, the kind of folks who can afford $5,000 Bulgari watches and mistresses that look like supermodels weren’t scared at all. They had no reason to be, because they knew solar wasn’t risky at all. In fact, it was one of the safest places you could’ve put your money back then.

Good People to Know

I came home from that meeting with a stack of business cards, and I still keep in touch with many of those folks today. After all, these are good people to know, and I’m always eager to see what they’re investing in next.

Interestingly, while most have been in and out of solar since 2009 — pocketing massive fortunes along the way — there’s definitely been a resurgence in interest over the past few months. So much, in fact, that I was recently invited to another small gathering next week in Boston.

Of course, I can’t say I’m surprised.

After all, with the potential expiration of the solar investment tax credit looming, solar installers have been doubling their efforts to get as much installed as they can before the end of 2016. And this is on top of an already booming market in the U.S.

The Biggest Bang for you Buck

In the first half of this year, 40% of all new electric capacity in the U.S. came from solar. That’s more than any other energy technology.

And consider the following…

• A new solar project is now being installed every two minutes.
• There’s now enough cumulative solar capacity in the U.S. to power nearly 5 million homes.
• Next year, the industry is expected to double existing solar capacity. That’s in one year!
• Since 2006, the cost to install solar has fallen by more than 73%, and it’s continuing to fall.

Truth is, there’s no reason NOT to invest in solar these days.

The key, however, is knowing where to get the biggest bang for your solar buck.

This is NOT Science Fiction

It won’t take much to make money in solar next year.

Between new regulatory controls outlined in the U.S. Clean Power Plan and the fact that solar is simply an economic reality today, it’s pretty much a no-brainer.

Of course, while you’ll likely do just fine with solar mainstays like SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR) and First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR), the big money in 2016 is going to be found in next-generation solar technology.

I’m talking about the companies that can simply take solar technology today and make it better, cheaper, and more efficient.

I’m talking about the type of technology that will cut the cost of solar in half while allowing solar power systems to create even more homegrown electrons.

And this stuff isn’t science fiction, either.

It exists right now, and one of the companies leading the way is based right here in the U.S. Hell, you can even buy shares of this company with the click of a button.

This particular company has actually developed a new quantum dot solar technology.

Without getting too technical, a quantum dot solar cell is made up of semiconducting particles that have been reduced to a size as small as one nanometer.

By reducing the cell to this level, you can actually print or spray the cells onto just about anything: walls, windows, even clothing.

So instead of installing large solar panels with rack mounts and braces, you actually spray the solar onto your roof, your walls, or your windows.

I’m not kidding.

But it’s not just aesthetics — it’s also performance.

Not only are we looking at the promise of quite literally spray-painting solar onto your roof, but we’re also looking at the ability to generate even more electricity with your solar power system, and at a lower cost.

Although the technology is still in its earliest stages, it’s being financed by folks with deep pockets. You know the type… hot shots who wear $5,000 Bulgari watches and attend investor meetings with their secretaries/supermodel girlfriends.

To a new way of life and a new generation of wealth…

Jeff Siegel

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Jeff is the founder and managing editor of Green Chip Stocks. For more on Jeff, go to his editor’s page.