We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Renewable Energy Penny Stocks to Invest In and in this article, we will discuss whether Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE:NOVA) is the top renewable energy penny stock to buy now.

Investments in Renewable Energy

The renewable energy sector has experienced growth in recent years, driven by increased government investments in the energy transition as the world moves away from fossil fuels. However, in 2023, the sector experienced volatility due to inflation and high interest rates. Analysts believe that the renewable energy market is set to make a comeback this year, driven by growth in solar and wind power generation. Recently, on May 23, Reuters reported that the leading renewable energy company, Orsted secured an investment of $680 million in tax equity financing from JP Morgan to fund its solar battery storage projects of 250 megawatts and 300 megawatts in Texas and Arizona, respectively. This investment utilizes tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act and is an indicator of its potential to accelerate clean energy deployment in the United States. The Arizona facility will receive a one-time investment credit for the battery storage stem. Before this deal, JP Morgan had other investments in the 1.8 GW onshore portfolio of Orsted in the United States. Both projects are expected to become operational in 2024.

The renewable energy market is gaining momentum in 2024. Over the past month, prominent renewable energy-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have shown a surge in returns. As of May 28, the leading clean energy ETF, iShares Global Clean Energy ETF has surged 11%, while the First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund has climbed 14%. This growth also extends to solar stocks, with Invesco Solar ETF gaining 14% over the past month. The boom of solar stocks is exemplified by First Solar as it is leading the surge, with its stock soaring by more than 50% over the past month, significantly outperforming the broader market. Check out our free report on 7 Best Alternative Energy Stocks according to Analysts.

Clean Energy Powering AI

According to the International Energy Agency’s projections, global electricity consumption for data centers, cryptocurrency, and AI sector could double by 2026. This provides the clean energy sector with a lucrative opportunity to capitalize on. Recently on May 24, the Chief Executive Officer of Oklo, Jake DeWitte appeared in an interview on Yahoo Finance Catalysts where he talked about the company’s business model and energy landscape. Oklo is an advanced nuclear technology company, engaged in the development and design of fission power plants to provide reliable commercial-scale energy to customers in the US. The company aims to create clean energy and also has the backing of OpenAI’s founder, Sam Altman. DeWitte said that Oklo employs next-generation nuclear technology which has the potential to power the planet for over a billion years. The CEO believes that the energy demand is rising as the Artificial Intelligence sectors rely on clean energy to power their operations. Oklo’s business model revolves around selling the generated power through long-term agreements to major energy consumers for AI such as data centers. This will provide the company with recurring revenue to continue developing and deploying clean energy solutions.

Moreover, the revenue stream will allow the company to utilize project financing and advantage from government investment tax credits. DeWitte also talked about the company’s partnership with a data center company, Wyoming Hyperscale, which will allow Oklo to integrate clean energy with the advanced liquid cooling technology of the data center. This partnership could lead to the use of the reactor’s waste heat for cooling the data center. Both companies have signed a 20-year power purchasing agreement. You can also check out our free report on 7 Unstoppable AI Stocks to Buy.

Undervalued Renewable Energy Companies with High Growth Potential

Tigo Energy is a solar and energy storage company, engaged in the development of module-level power electronics (MLPEs). The MLPEs help solar modules reach their maximum energy output. The company also offers GO Energy Storage Systems with solar storage management capabilities and energy intelligence (EI) platforms. Founded in 2007, the company provides its services to residential, utility, and commercial customers in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Africa. The company’s stock is also one the cheapest clean energy stocks to buy according to analysts. On May 8, the company announced that it has launched the latest Tigo Flex MLPE product line, the Tigo TSX-4. The new MLPE is designed for large-scale commercial and industrial solar projects. It is compatible with solar modules with power of up to 800 watts. The new TSX-4 series offers increased power output, reduced cost, optimization, and advanced monitoring.

Another leading renewable energy company, Emeren operates, develops, and builds solar power projects. Its portfolio consists of a 3 gigawatts pipeline of projects and independent power producer (IPP) assets. It is also engaged in the engineering and procurement of solar modules along with other components. On April 23, the company announced that it has partnered with Nuveen Infrastructure to develop battery storage projects in Italy. The agreement finalized a collaboration of a 2.83 GWh capacity and the development of two additional battery storage projects. The construction of the projects will begin in 2024 and will be operational by 2026.

Methodology

To compile our list of the 10 best renewable energy penny stocks to invest in, we used stock screeners from Yahoo Finance and Finviz, and listed the stocks trading at a price lower than $5, as of May 28. We also reviewed multiple similar rankings by Insider Monkey and various clean energy ETFs to form a list of 30 renewable energy penny stocks. We picked the 10 stocks with the most buy or buy-equivalent ratings from Wall Street analysts and the highest average upside potential, as of May 28. Finally, we sourced the hedge fund sentiment for each stock. The hedge fund data was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of over 900 elite hedge funds as of the first quarter of 2024. The 10 best renewable energy penny stocks to invest in appears in ascending order of their number of hedge fund holders, as of Q1.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Is Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE:NOVA) the Best Penny Stock to Buy Now?

Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE:NOVA)

Share Price as of May 28: $4.31

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 20

Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE:NOVA) is engaged in the provision of energy as a service, operations and maintenance, monitoring, repairs and replacements, equipment upgrades, on-site power optimization, and system diagnostics services. The company has operated a fleet of residential energy solar systems with a total generation capacity of 2.29 gigawatts, as of 2023.

The company recently released its financial results for the first quarter of 2024. The financial highlights for the quarter included an $18.09 million increase in unrestricted cash compared to the prior quarter. The company signed up 27,000 customers in the quarter, bringing the total customers of the company to 438,500. The company manages 2.6 gigawatts of power which is backed up by nearly 1.2 gigawatt hours of energy storage solutions. To date, the leading renewable energy company has partnered with 21,000 dealers and home installers all over the US.

Based on the consensus of 28 analysts as of May 28, Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE:NOVA) has an overweight rating with an average price target of $10.5. Its average price forecast represents a 141.5% upside potential from its current price of $4.35.

According to Insider Monkey’s database, 20 hedge fund managers held stakes in Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE:NOVA) at the end of Q1, with positions worth nearly $92 million. Of those, D E Shaw is the biggest shareholder in the company, with total stakes of over $47 million.

Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE:NOVA) is ranked 1st on our list of the best renewable energy penny stock to invest in. To discover more stocks, check out our free report on the 10 Best Renewable Energy Penny Stocks to Invest in.

While we acknowledge the potential of these renewable energy stocks, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NVIDIA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure. None. This article is originally published on Insider Monkey.