"Acquisitions in the global solar industry are off to a strong start in 2006 following a major realignment in the solar industry." — Catherine Lacoursière, Clean Technology and Nanotechnology Correspondent

RenewableEnergyStocks.com - "Global Renewable Energy Insights" Looks at M&A Activity in Alternative Energy Market

"Acquisitions in the global solar industry are off to a strong start in 2006 following a major realignment in the solar industry." — Catherine Lacoursière, Clean Technology and Nanotechnology Correspondent

POINT ROBERTS, Wash., February 17th, 2006 - www.RenewableEnergyStocks.com (RES), an investor and industry news portal for the renewable energy sector, is pleased to present, "Global Renewable Energy Insights," a weekly column by InvestorIdea's Catherine Lacoursière, who has covered the energy and environment markets for Investor's Business Daily, Energy Risk magazine, and CleanTech Venture Network blogs. This week's column provides perspectives on the M&A activity within the solar industry driven in large part by the worldwide silicon shortage.

Column Excerpt: Silicon Shortage Drives Global Solar M&A
By Catherine Lacoursiere
February 16, 2006

Acquisitions in the global solar industry are off to a strong start in 2006 following a major realignment in the solar industry. The recent sale of Shell Solar's crystalline solar business to SolarWorld was a clear indication that the economics of the photovoltaic manufacturing business has changed. Global merger and acquisition activity in the renewable energy sector has been growing at just under 50 percent per annum for five years, reaching $14USD billion in 2005, according to London, UK-based New Energy Finance. Activity in the photovoltaics sector, which has been one of the most acquisitive, is expected to increase.

To Read the Column in Full: http://www.renewableenergystocks.com/CL/News/Silicon_Shortage.asp

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Featured RenewableEnergyStocks.com Public Companies: (RES is compensated by XSNX, SSC and LVCP as disclosed in disclaimer below.)

XsunX, Inc (OTCBB: XSNX) is the developer of Power Glass' - an innovative thin film solar technology that allows glass windows to produce electricity from the power of the sun. This proprietary process is intended to allow manufacturers to apply a transparent and photovoltaic glazing to glass and other transparent substrates. When XsunX glazing is exposed to light, the light energy is converted into electrical energy for use as a power source. XsunX believes that its solar electric glazing technology has a number of major market opportunities in the worldwide architectural glass, optical film and plastics markets.

For more information on XsunX, click here: http://www.renewableenergystocks.com/CO/XSNX/Default.asp

Legend Investment Corp. (OTC.PK: LVCP) is a fully reporting holding company dedicated to the acquisition and development of solar energy companies. LVCP is buying 51% of GiraSolar BV, which provides them with access to the GiraSolar Group of companies within the solar arena. The GiraSolar group is an umbrella organization for subsidiaries, partners and affiliated entities active in the field of solar energy product development, production and application with $12,000,000 USD generated in revenue last fiscal year.

For more information on Legend Investment or GiraSolar, click here: http://www.renewableenergystocks.com/CO/LVCP/Default.asp

SmartCool Systems, Inc. (OTC.PK: SSCFF; TSX VENTURE: SSC), a marketer of advanced energy saving technologies which reduce the electricity consumption (Kwh) and maximum demand (Kw/KVA) of refrigeration and air conditioning compressors. As a distributor of the Abbotly System 4000 Energy Savings Module (ESM)®; a system of micro-computer digital optimization modules which work with existing compressor equipment and controls, SmartCool enables businesses to reduce the electricity usage of refrigeration and air conditioning compressors by 10% to 20% while maintaining temperature performance.

For more information on SmartCool, click here: www.renewableenergystocks.com/CO/SSC/Default.asp

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