Rockwood Holdings Inc.

It was a strong week for the broad stock markets and an even stronger week for clean tech sectors, capped off with a bonanza for shareholders of San Jose, California-based solar panel company SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ: SPWRA). SunPower and French oil multinational Total S.A. (NYSE: TOT) announced late Thursday that Total was buying 60% of SunPower for approximately $1.4 billion at $23.25 per share -- lifting the stock to close today at $21.69 per share, 34.5% higher than Thursday’s close and up 36% for the week.

The overall clean tech sector declined dramatically during 2010 compared with strong positive performances for the U.S. overall stock market indices. Most European markets had shaky years and the Shangai Composite Index had the lowest performance among major markets tracked by EnergyBoom (2010 market data below).

However, the real story of 2010 was the spectacular gains of companies that bucked the down-trend for clean tech stocks. Here are the 2010 top 25 companies in the EnergyBoom Clean 100 Index (E•B Clean 100):

Shares of the world’s leading lithium producing companies are going gangbusters. Although lithium is used in a wide range of products, one likely explanation is that investors want exposure to the mineral that is critical to the batteries in the first mass-market electric vehicle’s (EVs).

The “Lithium Rush” is in full swing.  Existing producers are expanding properties and junior mining companies are looking for news ones to meet the demand from the dozen automakers who are introducing new electric vehicles over the next two years. Some automakers are investing in mining projects to ensure their future lithium supplies.

“The coming boom in lithium” is a phrase that seems to be gaining momentum these days, much to the delight of the dozens of junior companies raising capital to join the rush to find and develop lithium deposits.