Remember like eight years ago when Solar Stocks were hot? The industry is hot once again and for some good reasons.

Solar Array Technology is Better

The technology that makes up the vast number of solar arrays in the world is getting better all the time. A little improvement in the technology is multiplied when implemented on farms of solar panels.

The Costs Are Improving

Could solar really be as cheap as coal and/or nuclear energy? Some believe so. Up to this point there has been a strong demand for government subsidies in the industry to keep the costs low. One way to keep the costs low is install the solar arrays on the rooftops of buildings and to the energy created within the building. This eliminates to costs factors, land and transmission.

Stocks to take a look at:

Look to the leaders in the industry, starting with First Solar (FSLR). The stock has been on a roller coaster while bottoming out in 2012 when the solar industry restructured but has been performing nicely as of late. Analyst are looking for continued profit this year and the stock could continue to rise from its recent price of $67.

Canadian Solar is one of the strongest in the group also. Near its all time high, the stock has moved from $21 to $28 over the past 60 days. Current Earnings are expected to come in at $2.78 for 2015 which has been raised lately by analyst. 2016 is flat at this time so there is some reason for caution after Q4 comes in.

Solar City run by Elon Musk of Tesla, jumped in November from $25 to $57 before cooling off to near $49 today. This company is involved in the finance of solar equipment for home use in addition to making, installing, and maintaining those systems.