Buffett’s Battery Pick Goes Solar (BYDDF, JCI, CHP, ENS, SOLF, STP, LDK, SOL, TSL, BRK-A, BRK-B)

Photovoltaic panels aren’t the only way to play the solar market, and Warren Buffett is among investors looking to capitalize on the storage side.

By this point, you’re probably familiar with Berkshire Hathaway’s (NYSE: BRK-A, BRK-B) 10% stake in Chinese electric carmaker BYD (OTC: BYDDF). The stock has gone up in multiples since Buffett’s October 2008 investment, and according to various reports, the Oracle of Omaha may have just gone solar without making another trade. Over the weekend, BYD announced plans to spend $3.3 billion building China’s largest solar power battery plant over the next five years. When completed, the plant will have capacity to produce 5,000 megawatts of batteries annually.

BYD shares are leading the Energy Storage and Battery Technology Stocks Index higher today with a 7% rally. Meanwhile, sector giant Johnson Controls (JCI), C&D Technologies (CHP), and Reading, Pennsylvania-based EnerSys (ENS) are also among the day’s winners.

Because Berkshire’s BYD shares are listed in Hong Kong, the position won’t appear among Buffett’s U.S.-listed equity holdings. However, with aspirations to become the world’s largest automaker by 2025 and a significant step into the solar segment, it is certainly one to keep on the radar – just be ready for some volatility.

As for the solar segment, just take a look at the Chinese Solar Stocks Index. Solarfun Power Holdings (SOLF) is leading the rally with an 8% spike, and laggard Suntech Power Holdings (STP) is ahead by more than 2%. The segment got hammered last week as China shares tumbled, but buying LDK Solar (LDK), ReneSola (SOL), or Trina Solar (TSL) at Friday’s close earned investors over 4% to start the new week.

Investors won’t be sure of where Buffett stands until next month, when the deadline for Q4 filings hits. At tickerspy.com, members can track Berkshire’s latest holdings, see a graph of their combined performance, and be notified when new holdings are made public.

Tags: BRK-A, BRK-B, BYDDF, CHP, ENS, JCI, LDK, SOL, SOLF, STP, TSL