Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) popped 11% in intraday trading today as investors bet that the solar industry will benefit from the nuclear reactor issues stemming from the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

So what: Japan, the third largest economy in the world, is also the world's third largest oil consumer. Some nuclear reactors in the country were severely damaged by the natural disaster.

Now what: With dangers of nuclear power highlighted by the situation in Japan, demand in both Japan and other countries may shift from nuclear to solar power. This could be a long-term positive for solar industry companies such as Trina.

Interested in more info on TSL? Add it to your watchlist by clicking here.

Fool contributor Cindy Johnson does not own shares of any company named above. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.