In this effort, we have focused on the former peaks from the 2007 to 2008 glory days, if applicable. The run higher seems like a bubble, but you will see that the bubble of today is nothing compared to the bubble of 2007 and 2008, when energy and alternative energy were flying high.

24/7 Wall St. evaluated the likes of First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR), SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR), MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE: WFR), GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: GTAT) and SolarCity Corp. (NASDAQ: SCTY) in the stock coverage. We also wanted to highlight exchange traded fund (ETF) performance and historical data on the Guggenheim Solar (NYSEMKT: TAN) and PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy (NYSEMKT: PBW).

First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) is the de facto solar leader, and its shares have done what seemed nearly impossible just a few months ago. This stock went from less than $30 from late in 2006 after its initial public offering (IPO) to more than $300 in mid-2008 at the peak of the energy craze. Then came the “heads I win, tails you lose” trading, in which First Solar lost literally half of its value from July 2008 to December 2008. By June 0f 2012, First Solar shares were at a low even under $12, and the stock closed out 2012 at $30.86. Now we have shares up around $56, implying year-to-date gains of 81% and gains from last June’s lows of nearly 400%.

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) remains a miracle recovery, but we question why on earth Total S.A. (NYSE: TOT) has not acquired the rest of the company when the stock was less than $5. It is the largest holder by far, and it could have taken this outfit over on the cheap. This stock trades around $21.60, after a drop of more than 4% on Tuesday, but shares hit a high of $23.76. SunPower shares peaked at more than $100 in 2007 and again in 2008.

MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE: WFR) has been the less-followed winner for its solar materials making, but its rise has been massive as well. After hitting a low of $1.44 in the past year, the stock closed out 2012 at $3.21. With shares around $6.70 now, this is a gain of close to 400% from the lows, and a gain of more than 100% so far in 2013. Keep in mind that MEMC peaked at $96 in late 2007, and this was a $17 stock by the end of 2008.

GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: GTAT) shares are back up to $4.60, but we would caution that this one came public as one of the last solar players out there in late 2008. It makes equipment for solar panel makers and providers, and it does not fit the same historic pattern as it missed much of the 2007 and 2008 silliness. This stock is up 75% from its low of $2.61 from March 4, 2013. GT is also up just over 50% from its closing price of $3.03 in 2012.

If you want to see just how fast a good thing can come to a crashing end … SolarCity Corp. (NASDAQ: SCTY) is supposed to be the new kid on the block, and its shares hit a new all-time high of $52.77 just on Monday. After a double-digit drop, this one is back to $45. Do not feel too bad for those shareholders because, even after this last sudden drop, we have this 2012 IPO up a whopping 275% or so year-to-date from the $11.93 close for 2012.

The Guggenheim Solar (NYSEMKT: TAN) ETF is solar-focused and is still up 1.9% at $26.04 so far on Tuesday, but that is down from a high of $27.87 earlier in the day and up from a 52-week low of $12.60. Even after pulling back from the highs, this ETF is up a whopping 64% year-to-date from the closing price of $15.64 at the end of 2012. Trading volume has been elevated, and even exponentially higher of late. A reverse split has clouded the comparisons back to 2008 when this ETF was created.

There is also the PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy (NYSEMKT: PBW) ETF, which has a more diversified angle of alternative energy, cleaner energy and conservation, rather than just being solar. This one just hit a new high of $5.87 for the year and shares are up less than 1% at $5.67 as of last look. Even after the pullback, this is up almost 38% year-to-date from the $4.08 close at the end of 2012. Keep in mind that this ETF was above $28 at the peak back to late 2007 and in 2008, but by the end of 2008 it back to less than $10 per share.

If this sounds as though we have the pom-poms out cheering on the solar rally, we actually want investors to consider the risks more than just chasing the gainers. Our first point to make is that when you see articles of this magnitude cheering a great recovery, then perhaps the easy money has already been made. If you want proof of how volatile and wild price moves are expected, an at the money straddle or spread using the June-2013 $55 strike prices in puts and calls would cost you about $8.25 if you tally up both prices. That implies that the stock would have to rise to above $63 or fall to under $47 before the bets pay off.

The solar sector moves have been impressive. Make that more than impressive. The problem is that we are in a different valuation world now compared to the bubbles of the past. The partial austerity-driven, tax-credit-expiration world we live in now and the tariffs (trade wars) have changed the landscape to the point that it seems almost incomprehensible that the old bubble days of 2007 and 2008 could return. Some of these companies will continue to go on to do great things in the years ahead. Other solar players may fade into the history books, even after we have seen many bankruptcies in this sector.

Some longer term questions remain. Will solar companies get to form master limited partnerships? Will they become utilities? Is a market cap of almost $5 billion for First Solar crazy, or is it cheap compared to 2007 and 2008? Is Solar City’s $3.5 billion market cap valuing it as the utility of the future? Is much of the volume being driven by short covering? Or is the volume being driven by ETFs influencing the sector?

For China-based firms, the percentage of shares short is not available because the companies are also listed on other exchanges.

Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) saw short interest rise by 8.3% to 2.08 million shares, about 6.8% of the company’s total float.

First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) short interest drop by 7.4% to 17.07 million shares, which represents 28.1% of the company’s float.

GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: GTAT) showed an increase of 8% in short interest to 41.34 million shares, about 34.9% of GT’s float.

MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE: WFR) showed an increase of 8% in short interest to 16.88 million shares, or about 7.3% of MEMC’s float.

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) saw short interest rise by 4.1% to 9.52 million shares, or 23.9% of the company’s total float.

JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) showed a drop of 17% in short interest to 2.21 million shares.

LDK Solar Co. Inc. (NYSE: LDK) saw short interest fall by 11.9% to 3.03 million shares.

Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP) showed a rise of 11.2% in short interest to 18.46 million shares.

Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) saw a short interest decline of 2.3% to 15.79 million shares.

Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE) showed a drop of 0.3% in short interest to 7.51 million shares.

In the prior two-week period, Yingli’s short interest rose by 50%. In the most recent two weeks, the very modest rise appears to have drawn a line on just how bad investors think the company’s prospects are. The decline in short interest in LDK is likely due to a lack of fallout from its missed debt repayment. The company may be able to hold on, but that is still questionable. So far the government has not ridden to the rescue for either company, but the thinking may be that it is about to do so.

SunPower issued earnings of $0.22 per share versus a $0.10 estimate and sales were down almost 1% to $575 million. That drop may sound bad, but the expectations were only about $510 million. What is also interesting here at a time that solar companies are having a hard time is that GAAP gross margin was 9.3% versus 9.2% a year ago, and non-GAAP gross margin was 22.7% versus 12.7% a year ago.

The company claims that its results are from its superior solar panel technology combined with strong performance from rooftop and ground mount solar operations. SunPower also said that it has started initial construction of the 579-megawatt Antelope Valley Solar Projects for MidAmerican Solar and reached 90% completion on the California Valley Solar Ranch project owned by NRG Energy.

What will be a driving force here for the solar sector is that SunPower also claims that demand in the residential lease business remains solid and has again exceeded its expectations. SunPower shares gained a whopping 17% to $15.29 today. The stock hit a new 52-week high and its new 52-week range is $3.71 to $15.46.

First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) rose late in the day, but it closed up only 1.35% at $46.40. if you will recall, First Solar blew away its earnings guidance as well.

SolarCity Corp. (NASDAQ: SCTY) should have done well based upon the commentary, but a Goldman Sachs downgrade from this morning kept pressure there for it to close down 3.25% at $27.09. Equipment maker GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: GTAT) was also lower on the day after cutting its at-risk order backlog from expectations. Shares did close down almost 5% at $3.67 today, but its shares were down around $3.54 before the SunPower news came out.

A late day pop was seen in the Guggenheim Solar (NYSEMKT: TAN) ETF and it closed up 2.2% at $20.39 on the day. Even the more diverse PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy (NYSEMKT: PBW) ETF saw a late day surge and it closed up 2.5% at $4.80.

In the Chinese solar sector we tracked the following short interest changes: JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO), LDK Solar Co. Inc. (NYSE: LDK), Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP), Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) and Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE). For China-based firms, the percentage of shares short is not available because the companies are also listed on other exchanges.

Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) saw short interest drop by 4.8% to 1.92 million shares, about 6.4% of the company’s total float.

First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) short interest rise by 12.2% to 18.43 million shares, which represents 30.6% of the company’s float.

GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: GTAT) showed a decrease of 5.6% in short interest, to 38.29 million shares, about 32.3% of GT’s float.

MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE: WFR) showed an increase of 1.4% in short interest, to 15.62 million shares, about 6.8% of MEMC’s float.

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) saw short interest jump by 33.1% to 9.15 million shares, 23% of the company’s total float.

JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) showed a drop of 16.3% in short interest, to 2.66 million shares.

LDK Solar Co. Inc. (NYSE: LDK) saw short interest rise by 0.8% to 3.44 million shares.

Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP) showed a rise of 16.6% in short interest, to 16.6 million shares.

Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) saw short interest decline of 15.6% to 16.15 million shares.

Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE) showed a rise of 50.9% in short interest, to 7.53 million shares.

Short interest is piling up in Yingli as the company looks like the next casualty among the Chinese solar energy players. LDK is teetering on the brink of disaster already, having missed a debt repayment last week. The big thing weighing down both these firms is that it appears that China’s central government will not rescue either of them. Both Trina Solar and JA Solar are better capitalized and could muddle through without government assistance.

The sharp increase in short interest in SunPower could rise even more during these two weeks, if the share price continues to rise. The company is tagging along on the boost in First Solar’s share price and there is no fundamental reason for SunPower stock to keep rising. The company is scheduled to report earnings on May 6.

In the Chinese solar sector we tracked the following short interest changes: JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO), LDK Solar Co. Inc. (NYSE: LDK), Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP), Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) and Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE).

For China-based firms, the percentage of shares short is not available because the companies are also listed on other exchanges.

Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) saw short interest drop by 6% to 2.02 million shares, which is about 6.6% of the company’s total float.

First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) short interest fell by 10.8% to 16.43 million shares, which represents 27.3% of the company’s float.

GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: GTAT) showed an increase of 0.8% in short interest to 40.57 million shares, about 34.3% of GT’s float.

MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE: WFR) showed a decline of 6.4% in short interest to 15.41 million shares, about 6.7% of MEMC’s float.

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) saw short interest fall by 17.6% to 6.87 million shares, or 17.3% of the company’s total float.

JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) showed a drop of 6.1% in short interest to 3.18 million shares.

LDK Solar Co. Inc. (NYSE: LDK) saw short interest rise by 0.2% to 3.42 million shares.

Short interest in Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP) declined 45.3% to 14.24 million shares.

Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) saw short interest retreat 0.7% to 19.14 million shares.

Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE) showed a short interest drop of 11.9% to 4.99 million shares.

Suntech’s bankruptcy filing in the second half of March cooled the ardor of short sellers for the Chinese solar stocks. Instead of piling in, short interest either declined or rose modestly in all the Chinese stocks.

The next report on short interest should reverse what we have seen today. First Solar gave the entire sector a lift yesterday when it boosted its outlook for 2013 and share prices rose dramatically. Anyone caught short yesterday in any solar stock very likely got a bad sunburn. But nothing much has really changed in the sector: module prices are a little more stable but remain low, and government support for solar installations is not growing. Look for the shorts to wade back in.

The company’s 2013 earnings per share (EPS) guidance calls for $4.00 to $4.50, also well above the consensus estimate of $3.46.

First Solar also set a target for sales of $3.5 to $4 billion in its 2014 fiscal year and $4.2 to $4.8 billion in fiscal year 2015. The EPS target for 2014 is $2.50 to $4.00 and the 2015 target is $4.00 to $6.00.

Shares of First Solar are up about 27% at $34.33 in a 52-week range of $11.43 to $36.98, and the news is lighting a fire under other U.S. solar makers.

We are seeing serious catch-up moves among peers. SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ: SPWR) is up almost 10% at $10.68 on the day. MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE: WFR) is up 6% at $4.55 so far on Tuesday.Guggenheim Solar (NYSMKT: TAN) is up 7% at $16.90. Even SolarCity Corporation (NASDAQ: SCTY), which is on the install side rather than the panels side, is up 3.6% at $19.59. GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: GTAT) is lagging with gains of only 1.2% at $3.38 on the day.

In the Chinese solar sector we tracked the following short interest changes: JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO), LDK Solar Co. Inc. (NYSE: LDK), Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP), Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) and Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE).

For China-based firms, the percentage of shares short is not available because the companies are also listed on other exchanges.

Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) saw short interest rise 0.5% to 2.15 million shares. That is 7.1% of the company’s total float.

First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) short interest rose by 3.7% to 18.42 million shares, which represents 30.6% of the company’s float.

GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: GTAT) showed an increase of 5.2% in short interest, to 40.25 million shares, or about 33.9% of GT’s float.

Short interest in MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE: WFR) declined 1.7% to 16.46 million shares, about 7.2% of MEMC’s float.

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) saw short interest fall by 16% to 8.34 million shares, or 21% of the company’s total float.

JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) showed an increase of 0.7% in short interest, to 3.38 million shares.

LDK Solar Co. Inc. (NYSE: LDK) saw short interest decline of 3.9% to 3.41 million shares.

Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP) had a drop of 8.6% in short interest, to 26.03 million shares.

Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) saw short interest rise of 1.5% to 19.28 million shares.

Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE) showed a drop of 0.2% in short interest, to 5.66 million shares.

The bankruptcy filing by Suntech happened after March 15, so any impact on other solar players has not shown up yet. JA Solar got a reprieve shortly after the Suntech fiasco, and it looks like both Trina and Yingli will make it through the shakeout in Chinese solar stocks. LDK Solar remains the weakest of the current survivors.

For China-based firms, the percentage of shares short is not available because the companies are also listed on other exchanges.

Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) saw short interest rise 3.5% to 2.14 million shares, which is 7.1% of the company’s total float.

First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) short interest increased by 6.4% to 17.77 million shares, which represents 29.5% of the company’s float.

GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: GTAT) showed an increase of 8.3% in short interest, to 38.26 million shares, or about 32.2% of GT’s float.

The short interest in MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE: WFR) grew 2.1% to 16.74 million shares, about 7.3% of MEMC’s float.

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) saw short interest rise by 11.9% to 9.93 million shares, 25% of the company’s total float.

J.A. Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) showed an increase of 15.4% in short interest to 3.36 million shares.

LDK Solar Co. Inc. (NYSE: LDK) saw short interest decline of 19% to 3.55 million shares.

Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP) showed a rise of 4.2% in short interest to 28.46 million shares.

Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) saw short interest rise of 5.6% to 19 million shares.

Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE) showed a rise of 5.6% in short interest to 5.67 million shares.

Shares of the Chinese solar stocks continue to be volatile, and share prices are tied to news related to government spending on planned solar installation in China during 2013. First Solar’s weak earnings brought some shorts back. And short interest in SunPower jumped again, likely due to the belief that there is not much good news coming from the firm, which has seen share prices spike in the first few months of the year.

The poor report is rippling through the solar sector today, pulling share prices down for First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR), GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: GTAT) and Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT). Solar maker SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) fell earlier this morning, but an initiation of the stock with an Outperform rating at Northland Capital has pulled SunPower’s shares up to a small gain. Wafer maker MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE: WFR), like SunPower, dived earlier, but has since recovered to post a small gain.

Shares of Yingli are down 4.6% this morning, at $2.29 in a 52-week range of $1.25 to $4.60. Other Chinese solar stocks, like LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK), Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL), J.A. Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) and Suntech Power Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP), are trading down from about 1.2% to 3.8% following Yingli’s results.

The U.S. dollar index rose 0.38% today, now at 81.906. The GSCI commodity index is down 0.8% at 650.13, with commodities prices mostly higher today. WTI crude oil closed down 0.8% today, at $92.05 a barrel, losing 5.6% on the month (more coverage here). Brent crude trades down 0.7% at $111.10 a barrel. Natural gas is up about 1.3% today at about $3.48 per million BTUs following the weekly storage report (more coverage here). Gold settled down 1.1% today at $1,578.10 an ounce, down about 5% for the month of February.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA down about 21 points to 14,054.25 (-0.15%), the NASDAQ fell about 2 points (-0.07%) to 3,160.19, and the S&P 500 fell -0.09% or more than 1 point to 1,514.56.

There were a several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) started as ‘outperform’ at BMO; Red Hat Inc. (NYSE: RHT) started as ‘overweight’ at Barclays; Saks Inc. (NYSE: SKS) cut to ‘underweight’ at Morgan Stanley; First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) reiterated as ‘hold’ at Argus; and VMware Inc. (NYSE: VMW) started as ‘hold’ at Stifel Nicolaus.

Earnings reports since markets closed last night resulted in several price moves today, including these: Career Education Corp. (NASDAQ: CECO) is down 9% at $3.25; Continental Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLR) is up 4.7% at $87.88; GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: GTAT) is down 6.5% at $2.87; Limited Brands Inc. (NYSE: LTD) is up 2.7% at $45.72; Monster Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ: MNST) is up 3.3% at $51.27; Sturm Ruger & Co. Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is up 2.6% at $54.89 (more coverage here); Universal Display Corp. (NASDAQ: PANL) is up 13.5% at $31.67; Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) is up 4.5% at $15.92; Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) is down 9.1% at $14.06; Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE: KSS) is down 1.1% at $46.10; and Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SHLD) is down 6.2% at $44.52 (more coverage here).

After markets close today and before they open tomorrow morning we are scheduled to hear from Body Central Corp. (NASDAQ: BODY), Cell Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CTIC), Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE), Deckers Outdoor Corp. (NASDAQ: DECK), Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS), Molycorp Inc. (NYSE: MCP), Palo Alto Networks Inc. (NYSE: PANW), and SandRidge Energy Co. (NYSE: SD).

Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) was scheduled to report after closing today, but announced a delay until tomorrow, ahead of tonight’s deadline to receive an offer from founder Richard Schulze (more coverage here).

Some standouts from today include the following stocks:

Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN) is down 24.3% at $4.53. The daily deals web site absolutely cratered on a dismal earnings report last night. More coverage here.

J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) is down 18% at $17.34. The department store operator posted results that were even worse than Groupon’s. More coverage here.

Broadsoft Inc. (NASDAQ: BSFT) is down 30.8% at $21.39. The Internet communications company posted good earnings last night, but guidance was way below expectations.

Stay tuned for Friday. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is giving a speech. Automakers will be announcing February car sales throughout the day.We have also noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

• 8:30 a.m. – Personal income and outlays
• 8:58 a.m. – PMI manufacturing index
• 9:55 a.m. – University of Michigan/Thomson Reuters consumer sentiment index
• 10:00 a.m. – Institute for Supply Management manufacturing index
• 10:00 a.m. – Construction spending