On Tuesday February 7th, Amy Caporale proposed the purchase of 300 shares of Guggenheim Solar ETF. The Guggenheim Solar ETF tracks the MAC Global Solar Energy Index, an Index that tracks the entire vertical value chain of Solar Energy around the globe. Amy believed that with prices falling drastically in the solar industry, the time was now to purchase the Guggenheim Solar ETF. She discussed how solar technology has vastly improved in recent years, resulting in operating efficiencies for solar companies. As solar energy currently is under represented in alternative energy (relative to wind), Amy thought this was an area that would only grow in the future.
The SMIF class agreed with the overall scheme of investing in renewable energy resources; however they had concerns in regards to the specifics. Some believed that the time to buy alternative energy was not now, considering the Trump administration supposedly will allow easier and cheaper access to fossil fuels. Also, some members of the class questioned whether the decision to embrace only solar, not all renewable energies, made sense. Some felt that it was narrow minded to only bet on one of the many renewable energy sources out there. Though the class certainly agreed with Amy’s sentiment to invest in alternative energy, they did not believe the payoff would not come in a timely fashion. The class unfortunately decided not to invest in the Guggenheim Solar ETF.