Forexpedia

Solar energy does work, and it can be profitable. Thats no longer in question. The next focal point for the industry is going to be making solar power more cost effective, and/or more efficient. A handful of small, publicly-traded companies are working on technological advancements that will not only bring solar energys cost closer to gas or coal energy prices, but also make it feasible to integrate the technology into our current infrastructure.

Here are some of solar powers most compelling current developments, and a few companies ” some of them smallcaps - that could make their investors glad to be owners.

Taking the Panel Out of Solar Panel

Traditional photovoltaic solar cells are big, fragile, and theyre heavy enough to make them difficult to mount just anywhere. And, they can only be attached or mounted to a large flat surface. That limits their use. To get around this challenge, solar panel paint is being developed. Like any paint, this specialized paint can be installed anywhere, regardless of the underlying shape of the structure being painted.

Though no publicly-traded stock can be purchased as a way of investing in this paint, dont assume thats a permanent problem. When corporations see that the technology is viable, theyll likely adopt and begin marketing it.

Thin Film Solar Cells

Formerly, solar cell panels were heavy and fragile, and therefore difficult to install ” one of their limiting factors. Recent advancements have flattened solar panels to paper-thin widths, without sacrificing efficiency. Best of all, these thin film panels arent rigid like previous ones. That flexibility makes thin-film panels considerably easier to mount without the risk of breaking.

First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) is one of the companies leading the thin-film effort. The companys cadmium telluride panels cost less than $1.00 per watt to make, which is approaching comparability with photovoltaic cells.

Bigger may not necessarily be better though. Smallcap company XsunX, Inc. (OTCBB: XSNX) believes that its ASI-120 (amorphous silicon) solar module can provide an even lower cost per watt while supplying electricity in a wider variety of geographical environments. The companys thin-film modules find a balance between the common silicon wafer modules, which are more costly, and lower rated power thin film modules, which are fairly ineffective.

Another entry into the thin-film arena is Uni-Solar Ovonics triple junction thin film solar cell, which is quickly proving to be very cost effective. The company is wholly-owned by smallcap company Energy Conversion Devices (NASDAQ: ENER), for interested investors.

Making It Is One Thing; Storing It Is Another

As solar energy production has moved past the trial stage and into the application stage, a problem has surfaced ” the sun doesnt shine 24 hours a day. To become fully powered by the sun, the energy collected when the sun is shining needs to be stored for use when the sun isnt shining. This is where batteries come in.

Theres an inherent problem with current battery technology though. Most of the batteries capable of handling that kind of power storage are made of solid components, which decompose to the point of uselessness pretty quickly. That may be a mot problem. However, considering these same batteries are also slow to charge, and have a limited lifespan. The answer to the problem is promising liquid-based batteries.

The problem so far? MIT is developing the liquid battery, which doesnt leave an investor any options to tap into its success. Once proven though, it is expected that smallcap companies will be the first to warm up to the technology.

In the meantime, solid battery-maker Valence Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:VLNC) has a product for every imaginable need automotive, industrial, and yes, even storage solutions for power generated by wind and solar sources. Smallcap stocks like EnerSys (NYSE: ENS) and Advanced Battery Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ABAT) may be good bets within the utility battery group as well.

That said, there are at least a couple of dozen battery companies that could actually meet the needs created by the continued growth of solar power. Some are better than others, but thats not a function of size.

Bio-Based Backsheets Cheaper Than Petroleum

Ironically, though solar power was mostly developed to get around the use of petroleum to supply energy, petroleum is actually used as one of the materials in a solar panel. Where? Not the panel itself; those are still made of silicon or similar materials. However, the protective covering for solar panels ” called a backsheet ” uses petroleum in its construction.

The problem? Backsheets are expensive enough as is, but the cost of the back sheet can skyrocket if crude oil prices move upward. The alternative to expensive petroleum-based backsheets is bio-based backsheets. In bio-backsheets, plant materials are used instead of petroleum, which can significantly lower the cost of the entire panel module. Smallcap company BioSolar Inc. (OTCBB: BSRC) is the leader of the bio-backsheet advance.

BioSolar had been primarily focused on backsheet technology for the most common crystalline silicon (C-Si) photovoltaic solar cells the markets biggest seller as of right now. However, copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film panels are quickly becoming competitors of C-Si panels because of their similarly-low costs and impressive power production. So, BioSolar has recently begun work on bio-backsheets for CIGS and CdTe thin panels as well.

Just a Window? What a Waste.

Many homes as well as most commercial buildings cover a great deal of their surface are for glass. This is partially a matter of convenience and expense, but also serves an aesthetic purpose. More important to the industry though, its a waste of a lot of solar power real estate. What if a window could also serve as a solar panel though, yet still be transparent?

Turning glass into an effective solar panel without sacrificing transparency isnt science fiction for New Energy Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: NENE). This small company has devised a way to coat windows with silicon nanoparticles that actually convert ultraviolet light into electricity. Needless to say, if an entire building could become a self-contained electricity supply, the implications would be enormous.

Investors, Listen Up

Given the ever-changing nature of solar power technology, it would be wise to stay abreast of the technology trends described above as much as it would be to continually monitor just the companies. Certainly the stocks mentioned here are among the current leaders in their respective categories, but these organizations really are only as good as their technology. And, that only matters if their products are profitable as well as competitive.

We feel smallcap stocks in particular can quickly surface ” often without warning - as worthy investments since their respective companies are nimble. Either way though, the industrys projected growth is undeniable, so one company or another is going to benefit from the dollars being poured into the efforts described above.

The best way to remain in touch with these solar technology trends, the companies mentioned, and any related smallcap stocks that may pop up in the meantime, is to sign up for the free Small Cap Network newsletter. We can keep tabs on the progress of the technology, and let you specifically know when and where to invest.

Unsecured Personal Loans are those that do not have any collateral attached to them. This type of loan is often cushy to get, but know in advance you will be paying a higher interest rate on the loan. This is because there is a great risk of non-payment due to the no collateral issue. Most unsecured individualized loans are for amounts up to $15,000. You may find some loan companies that offer a higher amount, but that is a standard loan amount in the industry. If you know you will need an unsecured individualized loan for more than $15,000 you can try to secure two or more such loans from different companies.

Unsecured personal loans can be used for many things. Sometimes a person takes out such a loan to improve their credit rating. If this is the case, then it is very important that you make all payments on time. You will want to pay the loan off early if possible. Not only will this look great on your credit report, but you will save yourself money in interest. Other uses for unsecured personal loans include a vacation, home repairs, remodeling, vehicle repairs, education, or medical expenses.

One of the biggest uses for an unsecured individualized loan is to consolidate other unsecured debt. This is often credit card debt. The amount of interest you will pay for the unsecured individualized loan is generally going to be less than you will pay overall if you pay off apiece of the credit cards you are considering consolidating. You will only have one payment to make apiece month. It is very important that you don’t run up more charges on your credit cards after consolidating them with an unsecured individualized loan. If you do, financial disaster is likely to be just around the corner for you. Make sure you have a solid budget and financial plan in place.

There are many places to secure a personal loan from. You may do so at the bank you have established accounts with or even one of your credit card companies. There are many unsecured personal loan companies on the internet. You can fill out a form on a website and have a response in just a few minutes regarding the status of your loan application. This process is fast, secure, and is a great choice for those who are embarrassed to go to a loan officer and ask for money.

Be careful if you decide to apply for an unsecured personal loan online. There are many reputable companies out there, but there are just as many scams. They often prey on individuals looking to borrow money. You can check up on an online loan company by checking with the Better Business Bureau.

If you can’t find any information about the business anywhere, stay away from it. There is a good possibility that the business is running a scam and continually changing its name to avoid being caught. An internet loan company should never ask you to send them an application fee or processing fee.

Unsecured personal loans are a great way to generate money for other needs. They are generally easy to get regardless of your credit history. Shop around for a good rate. Remember that the rate is going to be slightly higher than that of a secured personal loan. As with any type of loan, make sure you use the funds wisely. Financial security is very important. Just because there is no collateral attached to the loan doesn’t mean you have an easy out for not repaying it. Doing so will severely cripple your credit rating and credit score. It will also affect your ability to secure an unsecured personal loan in the future.

Study of coins in known as Numismatics and this ancillary discipline is of great significance for studying about any human society even our own. Over the past couple of centuries the study of coins has become for many people an end itself. The academic discipline remains fairly small, occupying a niche in the academic sphere, so many important contributions have actually been made by hobbyists. Because a coin has two sides it makes it a very interesting study.

Initially, their worth then and now as money. When in the Third Century AD the Romans devalued their coinage, Roman economic power began to slip,roman coinage was stable in its value for centuries because of its consistent gold content.

Coins that were comprised of any gold or silver have been ‘clipped’, meaning tiny bits of the coin have been shaved off by a dishonest person in order to melt it down and make a profit.

The ancient Greek cities each issued their own coinage, in the case of Athens it was mainly silver. Sicilian golden coins are one example of coins that are works of art in their own right. Even more practical are Roman coins or any other coin that was minted after the dark ages in Europe. Just as European coins display fine busts of rulers, so do early twentieth century American coins, especially the ones minted before the arrival of paper money, (fiat) money became the most used type of tender.

The American coins tend to be constant in subject, unlike the coins from Europe, though the Roosevelt dime is an obvious exception This does not, however, detract from the beauty of many early American coins which are highly prized by collectors and professionals.

Many silver dollars are great examples of the numismatic art; they are particularly sought after. The Buffalo nickel is also proving difficult to find. The marks indicating at which place the coin was minted; the date of issue; the subjects on the reverse,the marks indicating at which place the coin was minted; the date of issue; the subjects on the reverse. and the obverse as well, but they tend to remain constant. You can begin collecting coins relatively cheaply and easily; the fun comes with hunting down and finding that special coin that makes your collection more complete.

If you want to invest to make the most money, you need to properly diversify in order to reduce risk. To diversify, you have to put your money in more than one investment in order to keep it safe.

When you buy stock in a company, you are taking a chance that the stock price will decrease or increase. You are hoping for it to increase, but it might go down. When you buy a bond, you are taking the chance that the company may or may not pay you back.

Risk is important in investing because it means you can make money. More risk usually means the potential to make more money, but not always. The risk you take when you don’t diversify your investments is unnecessary risk. Never put all your money in one investment. The more money you have invested, they more you should be aware of this.

Let’s say you invest $1,000 into stock of one company and they go bankrupt. You’d probably lose a thousand dollars. If you had invested $1,000,000, you’d lose that much more.

It doesn’t matter how much you are investing, you should still diversify. You probably don’t need to diversify as much if you had a much smaller amount invested, but you should diversify the same.

When you diversify, you will need to adjust it depending on who you are and how old you are. When nearing retirement, will should concentrate more of your investments into bonds. This diversification will make sure you don’t lose the money you will need to spend soon.

If you are younger, especially in your 20s or 30s, you should focus on riskier investments such as stocks. Adjust it accordingly if you are anywhere in between these two age extremes.

If you are having trouble with diversification, another route to take is mutual funds. A mutual fund is already diversified by nature because they are invested into many different investments. You can even buy bond mutual funds as well as stock funds.

Seized property offered through government auctions and police auctions are a bargain hunters dream. The wide range of new and used merchandise sold is astounding, and the prices are as low as 10% of market value!

Exactly what is seized property? This is property that has been taken through state or federal “seizure laws”. These laws allow certain government agencies, such as US Customs, the IRS, DEA, even local police departments. to seize property that was used or acquired illicitly, such as a car or truck used to transport stolen goods or illegal drugs, or property imported improperly.

For instance, if a drug dealer uses the money he made from drug trafficking to buy a car or truck, even a house, it can be confiscated under the “seizure law”. Jewelry, furniture, computer equipment, art all can be seized.

The range and quantity of seized property sold at government auction is enormous. You can buy antiques, clothing, collectibles, tools, medical equipment the list goes on and on. Nearly anything you can imagine can be purchased at these government auctions or police auctions, for a fraction of their real value.

Some of these auction goods are merchandise that was seized by US Customs. The reasons for seizure can be for improper importation or smuggling, or for failure to pay import duties or taxes. Customs will sometimes seize entire cargo containers full of property. Often, these are brand new goods that were headed for store shelves, and are now liquidated through a government auction.

Government auctions and police auctions are carried out separately by hundreds of individual agencies, from federal government agencies like the IRS and US Customs, on down to local governments and municipal sheriffs departments. Each of these agencies will conduct their own auctions, sometimes online, some at specific locations.

How do you go about finding these seized property auction treasures? There are basically two ways to find them. First, you can look through each agency’s listings, but you will spend countless hours since each agency is independent, and auctions change daily. Secondly, you can join a government auction membership site. These compile all the thousands of auctions together through their website. Membership sites vary, so you must check out reviews such as those found at Government Auction Site Reviews.

Seized property auctions are vast treasure troves of merchandise. If you are willing to put in a little time browsing through them, you will find literally thousands of “deals of a lifetime” on just about anything in the world!