Clean energy exchange-traded funds (ETFs) invest in companies that develop and deploy renewable and low-carbon technologies such as wind, solar, hydrogen, battery storage, and electric vehicles. These businesses stand to benefit as global clean energy investment accelerates -- a trend that could require more than $4.5 trillion per year by 2030, up from about $1.8 trillion in 2023.
For investors, the challenge isn’t believing in the trend; it’s picking the right winners. Clean energy ETFs offer a way to gain broad exposure to the sector’s growth while reducing the risk of backing a single stock that falls behind.
Top renewable energy ETFs
Many ETFs focus on clean energy these days, given the amount of money flowing into the sector. Some take a broad approach by investing across the entire industry, while others focus on a single aspect of green energy investing. The different approaches offer investors many ways to invest in clean energy through ETFs.
Here's a list of seven of the top ETFs concentrating on various aspects of the clean energy sector:
Top Clean Energy ETFs | Ticker Symbol | Assets Under Management (AUM) |
|---|---|---|
iShares Global Clean Energy ETF | $2.1 billion | |
First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund | $571.2 million | |
Invesco Solar ETF | $1.5 billion | |
Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF | $513.1 million | |
ALPS Clean Energy ETF | $114.2 million | |
First Trust NASDAQ Clean Energy Smart Grid Infrastructure Index | $7.8 billion | |
First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF | $229.1 million |
Here's a closer look at these top clean energy ETFs:
1. iShares Global Clean Energy ETF
2. First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund
NASDAQ: QCLN
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NYSEMKT: TAN
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NYSEMKT: PBW
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NYSEMKT: ACES
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NASDAQ: GRID
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7. First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF
NYSEMKT: FAN
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The bottom line
These ETFs allow anyone to easily invest in one or more aspects of clean energy. Some focus on a specific type of alternative energy, such as wind power or solar energy, while others offer broader exposure across the entire clean energy investment landscape. That allows investors to target a green energy trend, which should help reduce the risk of picking an underperforming clean energy stock.
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FAQ
Clean Energy ETFs FAQ
About the Author
Matt DiLallo has positions in First Solar and Tesla. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bloom Energy, First Solar, Fluence Energy, Johnson Controls International, Nextpower, and Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends National Grid Plc, ON Semiconductor, and Ørsted A/s. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
