Nanosolar flew in right under my radar.

I like to keep on top of news and advancements in energy production and conservation but over the last several months my focus has shifted towards investing in the publicly traded companies that I like rather than scouring my news feeds for interesting science.

My attention as of late has been focused on First Solar and MEMC Electronic Materials and really had myself convinced that they were the two best bets for making solar power more affordable. Well, add Nanosolar to the list as well.

This was a pleasant surprise to find out that I had totally missed this company and really showed me that I need to keep on top of the news because this company hasn't exactly been hiding in the shadows. There has been plenty of coverage about their incredible manufacturing process and high profile investors; unfortunately I've been a little too focused on researching companies traded on the NYSE, NASDAQ, and TSX. The headline that drew my attention to this company, and is now the subject of numerous blog posts, states that this solar technology is now producing energy cheaper than coal. This is something I believed would not happen for several more years at the very least.

News like this is a nice way to start the day.