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A small handful of companies in the clean/efficient energy sector bucked Monday’s stock market downer by making strong gains. Two of these companies, lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: AONE)) and wind turbine tower manufacturer Broadwind Energy Inc. (Nasdaq: BWEN), also halted months of sinking share prices. 

American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) of Chinese solar wafer and module manufacturer ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL) (market cap $799 million) fell 16.74% Tuesday -- and recovered 3% in early trading today -- after reporting strong 2010 revenue and earnings growth, but scaring investors with lower gross margins in Q4 compared to Q3 and with a forecast that Q1 2011 revenues will be 14%-20% lower than Q4 2010 revenues. 

(OTHER NEWS: Western Wind Energy Corp., A123 Systems, Inc.)

Shares of Aleo Solar AG (XETRA: AS1.DE) are up more than 23% since Tuesday when Robert Bosch GnbH announced it had increased its holding of Aleo from 70% to 82% and was offering to purchase the remainder of the company’s shares for 22 Euros ($30.25) each.  Robert Bosch, based in Stuttgart, Germany, claims to be the world’s largest automotive supplier. Aleo, based in Oldenburg, Germany, produces solar modules and photovoltaic systems in plants in Germany, Spain and China.

Here are two very different advanced biofuel strategies: Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRE) is producing algae from byproducts at one of its commercial ethanol plants to make biodiesel, and Codexis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDXS) is developing biocatalysts to produce advanced biofuel and pharmaceuticals and to remove carbon from smokestacks.

Solar power component companies roared back to the top of the heap this week, with the EnergyBoom Solar Subindex (E•B Solar) increasing 7.91 percent and the Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN) increasing 6.38 percent, beating all other green tech sectors and the broader markets.

Shares of EnerNOC, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENOC), the pure-play leader in providing demand response coordination that helps power utilities meet peak power demands, continued on a downward trajectory today after releasing losses for Q4 2010 and defending its billing practices.

Shares of Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: QTWW) were down more than 10 percent in early trading today reflecting the company’s announcement yesterday that it was implementing a 1-for-20 share consolidation to take effect Wednesday.

The week began strongly, paused on turmoil throughout the Middle East, and then finished higher with solid corporate earnings reports overcoming mediocre U.S. employment data. The green sector indices and ETFs narrowly beat the broad indices.

Shares of semiconductor and solar technology technology company MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. (NYSE: WFR) were trading up more than 13 percent at mid-day after announcing Fiscal 2010 and Q4 financial results that were dramatically higher than 2009. The company also forecast profits of 40 percent to 300 percent higher for 2011.

OTHER NEWS: Ormat Technologies, LDK Solar, Power-One

Shares of smart grid and wind turbine technology company American Superconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: AMSC) were trading up more than seven percent at mid-day after announcing nine-month financial results -- including tripled profits year over year -- and increasing guidance for Fiscal 2010 net income by 10 percent.