Nearly a dozen alternative energy companies will be reporting quarterly earnings this week, and the following preview might be useful as you try to wade through what’s happening. The companies we’ll look at are LDK Solar Co., Ltd. (NYSE: LDK), Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABAT), Real Goods Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: RSOL), A123 Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: AONE), Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE), Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ), JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO), Ener1, Inc. (NASDAQ: HEV), Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENER), SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWRA), and Verenium Corp. (NASDAQ: VRNM).

LDK Solar Co., Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) reports earnings after markets close today, and analysts are estimating EPS $0.85 and $783.87 million in revenues. Estimates for next quarter are $0.70 EPS and $801.64 million in revenues.  Shares closed at $10.31 last Friday, within a 52-week range of $4.97 to $15.10.

Chinese battery maker Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABAT) is also scheduled to report earnings after markets close today, but that’s not the company’s biggest issue. The company is the target of a report by Prescience Investment Group that states that ABAT is “fabricating its SEC financial statements.” Thomson Reuters has estimates for EPS of $0.10 on revenue of $32.47 million. Estimates for next quarter are for EPS of $0.11 on revenue of $35.81 million. The stock closed at $1.46 last Friday, and came with a penny of matching its 52-week low this morning. The 52-week range is $1.33-$4.35.

Real Goods Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: RSOL) is a solar PV integrator and system installer. The company is expected to report EPS of $0.00 on revenue of $18.33 million after markets close today. Estimates for next quarter are EPS of $0.03 on revenue of $23.73 million. The stock closed at $2.45 on Friday and is currently trading at $2.50, near the bottom of its 52-week range of $2.25-$4.80.

Another battery maker, A123 Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: AONE), is expected to report an EPS loss of -$0.46 on revenue of $18.16 million after markets close today. Estimates for next quarter are for an EPS loss of -$0.39 on revenue of $38.43 million. Shares closed on Friday at $5.74, within a 52-week range of $5.21-$11.53. The shares are up about 1% this morning, at $5.80.

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE), the T. Boone Pickens company that offers a compressed natural gas alternative to gasoline engines, reports earnings after markets close today. Analysts expect an EPS loss of -$0.09 on revenue of $66.90 million. Estimates for next quarter include an EPS loss of -$0.06 on revenue of $73.46 million. Shares closed at $15.39 on Friday, within a 52-week range of $11.75-$19.36. Shares are down slightly this morning, at $15.35.

Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) reports earnings on Tuesday, and Thomson Reuters estimates EPS of $0.41 and revenue of $423.49 million. Estimates for next quarter are $0.39 EPS and $437.31 million in revenues. Shares closed at $9.75 on Friday, within a 52-week range of $8.99 to $17.63. Shares are trading down slightly this morning, at $9.69.

JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) reports earnings before the markets open on Tuesday. Analysts estimate EPS of $0.32 on $551.5 million in revenues. Estimates for next quarter are $0.33 EPS and $572.82 million. Shares closed Friday at $6.16, within a 52-week range of $4.22 to $10.24. The stock is trading down about -2% this morning, at $6.04.

Ener1, Inc. (NASDAQ: HEV) is a battery and fuel cell maker that is scheduled to report earnings after markets close on Tuesday. Analysts estimate an EPS loss of -$0.07 on revenue of $26.76 million. Another EPS loss is expected next quarter, with estimates of -$0.06 on revenue of $35.30. The stock closed at $2.36 on Friday, near the bottom of its 52-week range of $2.11-$5.90. Shares are trading down more than -1% this morning, at $2.33.

Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENER), a solar PV maker, reports earnings after markets close on Tuesday. Analysts are expecting an EPS loss of -$0.48 on revenue of $35.17 million. Expectations for next quarter include another EPS loss of -$0.46 on revenue of $68.92 million. Shares closed on Friday at $1.76, near the bottom of the stock’s 52-week range of $1.72-$7.15. Shares are up nearly 2% this morning, at $1.79.

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWRA) reports earnings after markets close on Thursday. Thomson Reuters estimates EPS of $0.17 on revenue of $482.19. Next quarter estimates are $0.31 EPS on revenue of $600.32 million. The deal with Total has popped the stock by about $5/share.  The stock closed at $21.41 on Friday and the 52-week range is $9.61 to $22.60. Shares are down about -1% this morning, at $21.19.

Verenium Corp. (NASDAQ: VRNM) makes specialty enzymes that are used to produce biofuels. The company will release earnings after markets close on Thursday. Analysts are expecting an EPS loss of -$0.36 on revenue of $14.88 million. An EPS loss of -$0.31 is also expected next quarter on revenue of $15.67 million. Shares closed Friday at $2.72, within a 52-week range of $2.15-$4.68. Shares are trading up about 1% this morning, at $2.75.

Except for the larger solar PV players, the first quarter is not expected to treat these alt energy companies very well. And even the solar PV makers face some headwinds into the second quarter and the rest of 2011.

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Paul Ausick

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