I'm delighted with the first review of The Green Investing Handbook on Amazon, written by an investment specialist from Richmond:

"I've read several books covering investment in this area. Unsurprisingly many bleat on and on about the positives, largely preaching to the converted, as well as doing so in what amounts to a very naive point of view for any professional investor or financier. This book is a very welcome antidote to all that rubbish: it's fabulously up to date and speaks with an intimacy with financial markets and their players that is missing elsewhere and yet is essential if one is seriously researching renewables. I'm giving it a rare 5 stars because it does exactly what is says on the tin, so to speak, which so many books like this simply don't do. Highly recommended to finance professionals. Congratulations to the author".

Shares in Danish turbine manufacturer Vestas have nosedived by around 20% following last week’s disappointing results, where it was revealed that the company generated second-quarter revenues of €1,007 million (£825 million), a drop of 17% relative to the second quarter of 2009. Vestas said the drop was expected due to the credit crisis, and gave positive news with order intakes reaching a record level of 3031 MW in the quaurter, which is not only the highest level ever recorded but equals the entire order intake for 2009.

My view is that the sell-off has been over-done, and given the company’s prospects this is a good time to snap up some shares. The Vestas board seem to agree, having given their backing to the company following the price fall by splashing out DKK3.95million (£435,741) on shares.

Andreas Schreyer at The Green Investor in the US is also bullish on this stock: “Vestas has weathered the storm better than many wind companies and comes out of it in a much stronger position, with its capacity intact and well positioned geographically”, he comments. “Within a couple of quarters, the company will most likely be announcing record revenue and profitability, and by all of our measurements, the company is now extremely undervalued. A steal really, and with very little downside risk.”

Disclosure: C F Hanna Ltd has holdings in Vestas.

Singulus Technologies has received further orders for its Singular inline coating systems from several unnamed customers in China. The company is to ship one of these Singular machines, which are used both for processes in the manufacturing of silicon solar cells and for refining new solar concepts, by the end of September 2010.

According to the new Conto Energia III, Italy will reduce its funding for solar electricity in three phases starting from 2011. The cuts, which were first provisionally announced back in July, come in line with the current market conditions, which are forcing countries all over Europe to follow suit. However, despite these changes, EuPD Research remains positive that the Conto Energia III still offers a high degree of investment security.

Comtec Solar Systems, together with its subsidiaries, has signed new wafer supply framework agreements, with price subject to negotiation, to provide major customers Gintech Energy, Jetion Solar, CHINT Group and Neosolar Power with a total of approximately 200MW in monocrystalline solar wafers. These orders are thus added to the existing agreements between Comtec and China Sunergy, JA Solar, Suntech and Canadian Solar.