As the world witnesses furious climate changes and depletion of the oil and gas reserves, economies all across the world are giving significant attention to alternative energy options. Wind and solar energy are emerging as the ultimate winners in the quest to solve energy crisis. Venture capitalists and investors are not blind to the tremendous potential of the alternative energy stocks. Hence, be it the solar energy market or wind energy market, a lot of national and foreign companies are putting sufficient money in research and development of these alternative sources of energy. Be it the stock market in New York, Shanghai or London - green stocks are a hot favorite of investors. Top Solar Energy Stocks to Watch: The Popular Five In February 2009, Barack Obama had signed the US$787 stimulus package for the clean energy industry, securing its future during the ongoing recession phase in 2009. This move was celebrated with optimism in the industry as the solar and wind energy market showed signs of promising future. Further, the subsidies in clean energy sector that were due to expire on 31st December 2010, was further extended for one year under the Treasury Grant Program. As per the stock market analysts, this move has strengthened the clean energy stock market all across the US and they're trading fairly well. Industry experts are very positive about the scope, extent and opportunities for growth in the renewable energy sources market. ReneSola Headquartered in Jiashan County, China, ReneSola is the leading manufacturer of Solar Wafers, an integral component of solar panels. It is listed in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. Presently, the stock is known to be trading excellent amongst all clean energy stocks. JA Star Holdings One of the famed designers, manufacturers and sellers of the monocrystalline solar cells, JA Star Holdings is known to have clients and customers from major clean energy markets that include USA, Germany, Sweden, Spain and South Korea. In 2009, a large subsidy by the Chinese government bolstered the growth of this company. Its stocks are listed in NASDAQ and are popular now days amongst green investors. Trina Solar The Chinese company Trina Solar has become very popular amongst green stock enthusiasts. It was listed in NYSE in 2006. It is known for the manufacturing of photo voltaic modules that are required in a large number of residential, commercial and industrial applications. Nearly 90% of the sales of Trina Solar goes to Europe and rest in the other western countries, chiefly the US. Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Chinese companies have become global leaders when it comes to manufacturing solar components. Yingli Green Energy Holding company holds the reputation of being one of the world's largest solar vertically integrated photovoltaic manufacturers. Numerous photovoltaic modules manufactured in Yingli Solar, a brand of the Yingli Green Energy Holding Company are sold all across the globe with major buyers including the US, Greece, France, South Korea, Spain and even the China market itself. Suntech Power Holdings (Suntech) Suntech Power Holdings is a firm that is expanding phenomenally, thanks to its low-cost production availability and rising demands of solar components in the Asian markets. Passing of subsidies by the both governments, China and USA has helped companies like Suntech, based in China, to emerge as the winners of the alternative energy market. Suntech's network of buyers are spread far and wide, with more than 70% of sales going in Europe. Listed in the NYSE, it is one of the largest solar firms in the world by market capitalization. Other Solar Energy Stocks to Consider Here is a list of many other solar energy firms whose stocks can do fairly well in the solar energy market.

• 5N Plus Inc. - China
• Abengoa SA - Spain
• Advanced Energy Industries - USA
• Akeena Solar Inc. (now Westinghouse Solar (WEST) - USA
• Amtech Systems Inc. - USA
• Arco Energy Technologies Corp. - USA
• Arise Technologies - Canada
• Ascent Solar Technologies Inc (ASTI) - USA
• ATS Automation Tooling Systems - Canada
• Canadian Solar Inc. - Canada
• China Sunergy - China
• Conergy - Germany
• Cypress Semiconductor Corporation - California
• DAQO New Energy Corp. - China
• Emcore - USA
• Energy Conversion Devices - USA
• Entech Solar, Inc. - USA
• Envision Solar International - USA
• Etrion Corp. - Switzerland
• Evergreen Solar - USA
• First Solar Inc. - USA
• Graftech International - USA
• GT Solar International - USA
• JinkoSolar Holding Co. - China
• Kyocera - Japan
• LDK Solar - China
• MEMC Electronic Materials - USA
• Mitsubishi Electric - Japan
• New Energy Technologies - USA
• OPEL Solar, Inc. - USA
• Premier Power Renewable Energy - USA
• Principal Solar - USA
• Q-Cells - Germany
• Real Goods Solar - USA
• Renewable Energy Corp - Norway
• Sanyo Electric - Japan
• SatCon Technology - USA
• Sharp Corp - Japan
• SMA Solar Technology - Germany
• Hanwha SolarOne Company (HSOL) - China
• Solaria Energia - Spain
• SolarWorld - Germany
• Solar Millenium - Germany
• Solon - Germany
• United Technologies - USA

A Must Follow Tip: Don't forget to visit the official website of all the above companies to know more about their "investor relations". Your investment decisions must be made after self validation and fair sense of judgment. Don't hesitate to seek professional assistance, if you wish. We hope that you must be now aware of various top solar energy stocks in the year 2011. Keep an eye on these stocks but don't ignore stocks of smaller companies as they can also do very well sometimes. Keep yourself updated about the stock quotes and when you find it proper, invest in these clean energy stocks to make good income. Happy stock trading!