As a result, now that Europe has reached some of its goals, he says the market is slowing down a little but generally remains very favorable. For prospective solar investors, take note that the upside in profitability for European solar is good, but it may not be as good as before.

China is poised to post explosive growth in the renewables area.
China has just announced huge policies to promote the utilization of photovoltaic solar in communities across China. "It's very quickly going to become the largest photovoltaic solar market in the world," Nordholm told me.

Nuclear energy will experience a renaissance.
Nuclear will enjoy somewhat of a renaissance, Nordholm says, but it will be done by very large firms that have the operating history and expertise necessary to operate nuclear power plants.

What to do with this info
While you and I probably don't have our own private investment pool of dollars, it's definitely worth paying attention to the renewable energy "megatrend."

Investors seeking exposure to the solar space broadly should consider Claymore/MAC Global Solar Energy (NYSE: TAN) or Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (NYSE: KWT).

Major holdings of these ETFs, including SunPower (Nasdaq: SPWRA), First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR), Suntech Power (NYSE: STP), and Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE), are expected to gobble up a piece of the utility-scale solar market.

But beware if you're looking at individual companies: If you invest in them for the solar projects they're currently taking on, be careful that those companies have their financing secured. Nordholm says that some of the new renewable technologies are not yet financeable by banks.

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