The report, Engaging as Partners in Energy Efficiency: Multifamily Housing and Utilities, indicates that upgrades can generate energy cost savings of 15% to 30% in buildings with five or more residential units. The report also found that energy utilities play a critical role in unlocking these savings through the use of rebate programs and other financial incentives. Utilities’ contributions to energy efficiency programs are expected to increase from $4.3 billion in 2009 to as much as $12 billion annually by 2020.

Apartment buildings represent only a tiny fraction of the untapped opportunity available in the energy efficiency sector. An estimated $130 billion worth of energy-saving opportunities go unrealized in the U.S. each year, according to a 2009 McKinsey & Company report.

Much of this untapped opportunity exists in the commercial sector. Commercial buildings account for about 20% of energy use in the U.S. and are frequently eligible for utility rebate programs. As businesses nationwide seek to reign in their operating costs, many are requesting energy efficiency makeovers from companies such as Blue Earth, Inc. (OTC BB: BBLU).

BBLU provides lighting, refrigeration and HVAC retrofits for commercial buildings. The Company is growing through an M&A strategy in which it acquires companies with established customer bases in one technology area and then cross-sells its other technologies to those customers. BBLU’s most recent acquisition, Xnergy, has a blue-chip client base that includes Abbott Labs (NYSE: ABT), Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX).

BBLU signed two agreements in late 2011 that should accelerate revenue growth this year. The Company will work with US Energy Affiliates to provide energy efficiency upgrades to gas stations and hotels in California. BBLU is also partnered with Gexpro and eCORE Technology on a $60 million program to retrofit more than 2,000 gas stations and convenience stores with energy-saving technology.

You can learn more about BBLU by watching an interview with its CEO, Dr. Johnny R. Thomas, from RedChip’s Small-Cap New York Conference. BBLU is also scheduled to present at our virtual conference, taking place February 15-16, 2012. Register today to reserve your spot.

Disclosure: The subject security is a client of RedChip Companies, Inc. RedChip Companies, Inc., employees and affiliates may have positions and affect transactions in the securities or options of the issuers mentioned herein. For full financial disclosures for all RedChip clients, please visit http://www.redchip.com/disclosures.asp?src=rcv.

Today on Barchart.com, a leading market data distributor founded in 1934, Cross Border Resources (OTCQX: XBOR) registered a buy rating across 12 of 13 technical indicators used by the site. These indicators provide insight into the short-, medium-, and long-term prospects for equities and commodities.

XBOR is an oil and gas exploration and exploitation company utilizing a non-operated business model focusing on opportunities with proven operators within the Permian Basin. XBOR has more than 800,000 gross (approximately 300,000 net) mineral and lease acres primarily within the state of New Mexico. The Company’s resource assets target various emerging plays including the Wolfberry acreage located in West Texas and the 1st and 2nd Bone Spring, and more conventional plays such as the Abo, Yeso, and San Andres. XBOR currently owns approximately 31,000 net acres within the Permian Basin.

With Barchart.com’s medium- and long-term technical indicators now 100% to the buy side, XBOR represents a compelling opportunity for fast-acting investors. This could be the beginning of the move to the $5.00 price target our analysts put on the stock in early December.

Disclosure: The subject security is a client of RedChip Companies, Inc. RedChip Companies, Inc., employees and affiliates may have positions and affect transactions in the securities or options of the issuers mentioned herein. For full financial disclosures for all RedChip clients, please visit http://www.redchip.com/disclosures.asp?src=rcv.

High energy prices and new, advanced drilling techniques are sparking a production boom in resource-rich areas such as the Permian Basin in the southwestern U.S. and the Bakken of North Dakota. While investors who want to play the oil boom may be tempted to claim a stake in industry giants such as Chevron (NYSE: CVX) and ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), a recent Wall Street Journal article, Frack Attack: How to Play the Next American Oil Boom, suggests that investors look beyond the majors to profit from the U.S. energy explosion: “Investors with an appetite for risk might want to drill deeper into the sector to find smaller companies sitting on U.S. oil-shale riches—which make tempting takeover targets, analysts say.”

One company that fits this description perfectly is Cross Border Resources, Inc. (OTC QX: XBOR), a Texas-based oil and gas company with $28 million in proven reserves. XBOR holds over 31,000 acres in the Permian Basin, one of America’s most prolific oil and gas regions, and is targeting various emerging plays including the Bone Spring and Wolfberry, and more conventional plays such as the Abo, Yeso and San Andres.

As a non-operator partnered with the most prominent names in the Permian Basin, including Cimarex (NYSE: XEC), Apache (NYSE: APA) and Concho Resources (NYSE: CXO), XBOR has easy access to rigs and frac crews, expediting production. Management expects production to reach 500 barrels of oil equivalent per day by the end of January, up from 320 barrels at the end of the third quarter. The Company recently updated investors on its 2nd Bone Spring operations and plans to update its other Permian Basin activity in the next several weeks.

The combination of growing reserves and increasing production, set amid a new American oil boom, makes XBOR a highly attractive takeover candidate. RedChip Research recently rated XBOR a Strong Buy with a 12-month price target of $5.00, a potential upside of more than 250%. You can learn more about the Company by watching our interview with Cross Border’s CEO, Will Gray, from our recent Small-Cap New York Conference.

Disclosure: The subject security is a client of RedChip Companies, Inc. RedChip Companies, Inc., employees and affiliates may have positions and affect transactions in the securities or options of the issuers mentioned herein. For full financial disclosures for all RedChip clients, please visit http://www.redchip.com/disclosures.asp?src=rcv.

While the Company is currently working to finalize the acquisition, some investors have expressed frustration over the delay. Thankfully, calmer heads have prevailed and the stock remains unaffected. Bottom line, the Company listened to shareholders and is moving forward to acquire this facility in an all-cash transaction. To that end, they have already paid for over 80% of the cost.

China is expected to account for 40% of the world’s oil demand growth this year, and as a dominant player in its regional market, LPH is strongly positioned for robust growth. The Company generated revenues of $204.8 million for the first five months of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012. Historically, the second half of the fiscal year is stronger than the first for LPH, with revenues peaking in the fourth quarter. If this pattern holds true—and there’s no reason to believe it won’t—LPH is well on track to meet its guidance of $576 million in revenues and $78 million in net income for fiscal 2012.

LPH is tremendously undervalued, trading at less than 2x earnings while growing at double-digit rates. The Company’s stock price has yet to recover from last year’s implosion in the China small-cap sector, which depressed the valuations of numerous companies. With LPH, investors have a company with a proven business model, strong growth, and a huge pending acquisition, trading at rock-bottom prices. Investors who add LPH to their portfolio today will be positioned to profit as the shares continue to rebound.

The success of LPH’s Gujiao facility, acquired in 2009, gives investors a preview of what to expect with the Huajie asset purchase. While LPH was able to generate $188.3 million in revenues in its first full year of operations of the Gujiao facility, accounting for nearly 40% of Longwei’s fiscal 2011 sales, the Huajie acquisition is expected to generate $300 million in revenues during its first year of operations. To learn more about LPH, you can take a video tour of LPH’s Taiyuan City and Gujiao facilities or view the Company’s presentation from our latest virtual conference.

Disclosure: The subject security is a client of RedChip Companies, Inc. RedChip Companies, Inc., employees and affiliates may have positions and affect transactions in the securities or options of the issuers mentioned herein. For full financial disclosures for all RedChip clients, please visit http://www.redchip.com/disclosures.asp?src=rcv.

Photo by Between a Rock

The Times Square News Year’s ball is now energy-efficient, PC Mag reported Wednesday. When the famous sphere drops on New Year’s Eve, it will be lit with over 32,000 LED bulbs manufactured by Philips (NYSE: PHG). The new bulbs consume 80% less energy compared to traditional incandescent light bulbs, which the federal government will phase out starting January 1.

The upgrade of the classic New Year’s icon reflects the growing mainstream adoption of energy-efficient lighting technology. In addition to LED lights, homes and businesses are installing “smart” lighting controls such as dimming systems and building automation products to save on energy costs. The lighting controls market in North America & Europe is projected to reach $3.8 billion by 2015, according to Global Industry Analysts.

Blue Earth (OTC BB: BBLU) is well on its way to becoming an important player in this space. The Company performs energy efficiency upgrades on lighting controls as well as refrigeration, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. M&A is a key element in the Company’s growth strategy: BBLU acquires companies with established customer bases in one technology area, and then cross-sells its other technologies to those customers. The two acquisitions BBLU completed in 2011 (one of which has a $500 million project pipeline) provide the Company with a strong foundation on which to grow its business.

BBLU is quickly ramping up its deal activity heading into the new year. US Energy Affiliates recently signed an agreement with the Company to finance energy efficiency upgrades to gas stations and hotels in California, the latter marking BBLU’s entry into the lucrative hospitality sector. BBLU is also partnered with Gexpro and eCORE Technology on the eecoStation program, which is expected to help more than 2,000 gas stations and convenience stores in North America implement energy-saving technology. With energy efficiency technology hitting the mainstream, BBLU has the potential to generate strong revenue growth in 2012 as these programs gain traction.

You can gain more insight into BBLU’s growth potential by watching a video interview with the Company’s CEO, Dr. Johnny R. Thomas, from our recent Small-Cap New York Conference. BBLU also presented during our latest virtual conference; click the link to watch the presentation.

Disclosure: The subject security is a client of RedChip Companies, Inc. RedChip Companies, Inc., employees and affiliates may have positions and affect transactions in the securities or options of the issuers mentioned herein. For full financial disclosures for all RedChip clients, please visit http://www.redchip.com/disclosures.asp?src=rcv.

In short, no. Simply put, the termination of the LOI has zero material impact on XBOR’s day-to-day operations. The Company was growing prior to the LOI and continues to grow. Management expects daily production to reach 500 barrels of oil equivalent in early 2012, up from 320 barrels at the end of the third quarter. The Company has $28 million in proved reserves and is strongly positioned to convert probable and possible reserves into producing assets in the year ahead.

It also doesn’t change the fact that XBOR is one of only two pure play public companies providing direct exposure to the Permian Basin. The region accounts for an estimated 20% of U.S. oil production and is in the middle of a massive oil boom driven by advances in drilling technology. As of November 2011, nearly half of all active land rigs in the U.S. were located in the Permian Basin—and Cross Border has a substantial footprint in this prolific region. The Company’s assets include two hot emerging plays (Bone Spring and the Wolfberry trend), as well as more conventional plays such as the Abo, Yeso and San Andres.

The termination of the LOI also has no effect on XBOR’s longstanding relationships with its working interest partners, which include industry heavyweights such as Cimarex (NYSE: XEC), Apache (NYSE: APA), Concho Resources (NYSE: CXO) and Mewbourne. As we’ve previously discussed, non-operators such as XBOR are a low-risk way for investors to play the onshore energy boom. These partnerships give XBOR ready access to rigs and frac crews, positioning the Company to drill more wells in a shorter period of time than its competitors.

These are just a few reasons why XBOR remains a strong oil and gas play and an attractive buyout target, and why RedChip rated XBOR a “Strong Buy” in its initial report on the Company. You can learn more about XBOR by watching our interview with Cross Border’s CEO, Will Gray, from our recent Small-Cap New York Conference.

Disclosure: The subject security is a client of RedChip Companies, Inc. RedChip Companies, Inc., employees and affiliates may have positions and affect transactions in the securities or options of the issuers mentioned herein. For full financial disclosures for all RedChip clients, please visit http://www.redchip.com/disclosures.asp?src=rcv.

Commercial buildings accounted for 20% of U.S. energy use last year, and a growing number of companies are looking to offset rising energy costs by implementing energy efficiency upgrades. Green building activity grew 50% between 2008 and 2010, according to Green Outlook 2011: Green Trends Driving Growth by McGraw-Hill Construction. Nonresidential green construction activity is expected to triple between 2010 and 2015—which should bring an influx of customers for prominent energy efficiency service companies such as Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), Ameresco (NYSE: AMRC), Lime Energy (NASDAQ: LIME), and Orion Energy Systems (NYSE Amex: OESX), as well as newer players such as Blue Earth, Inc. (OTC BB: BBLU).

Investors should take note of BBLU in particular. The Nevada-based company is growing rapidly through a roll-up strategy, something its management team has plenty of experience with: BBLU’s founders completed 34 acquisitions in four years at their previous venture, growing the company from $29,000 to $350 million in revenues and increasing its market cap to $1.2 billion. BBLU’s most recent acquisition is Xnergy, a profitable energy services company whose clients include Abbott Labs (NYSE: ABT), Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX).

BBLU is also partnering with Gexpro and eCORE Technology on a program that will help more than 2,000 gas stations and convenience stores in North America implement energy-saving technology. The program could generate $60 million in revenues over the next two years. To learn why BBLU is poised to become a major player in the energy efficiency space, view the Company’s presentation from our latest virtual conference.

Disclosure: The subject security is a client of RedChip Companies, Inc. RedChip Companies, Inc., employees and affiliates may have positions and affect transactions in the securities or options of the issuers mentioned herein. For full financial disclosures for all RedChip clients, please visit http://www.redchip.com/disclosures.asp?src=rcv.

During the solar panel manufacturing process, an energy-conducting metallic paste is applied directly onto solar wafers. The fragile wafer often breaks in the process, driving up production costs. APNT has developed spray-on solar inks that eliminate the problem of breakage, providing significant cost-saving potential. Among the other benefits of APNT’s technology:

• With traditional methods, solar wafers need to be thick enough to withstand the pressure of the application equipment. APNT’s non-contact technology enables manufacturers to create a thinner wafer, which substantially reduces production costs.

• Non-contact machines can print several wafers in a single pass, while conventional machines can only process one wafer per pass. Additionally, with non-contact methods, several layers of ink can be printed simultaneously without having to dry each layer between steps.

• Non-contact methods are extremely precise, only placing inks when and where needed. In contrast, conventional machines produce added waste, leaving paste on the printing components.

“Collectively, these changes in processes translate into dramatic material cost savings close to 44%, or overall solar cell cost savings potentially exceeding 27%,” writes Mr. Novak. The implementation of APNT’s technology could bring solar much closer to reaching the industry’s “$1 per watt” goal, which represents cost-competitiveness with conventional energy sources. APNT has already signed its first solar ink licensing agreement with Sichuan Anxian Yinhe Construction and Chemical Group Co., Ltd. (YHCC), a construction, manufacturing and chemical company with a 46-year operating history and $330 million in 2010 sales. Under the terms of the license, APNT will receive an upfront payment of $2.0 million and an ongoing royalty of 3% on sales of solar inks and pastes by YHCC.

Solar ink technology represents only one element in APNT’s massive IP portfolio. The Company has 300 patents (150 issued and 150 pending) in the areas of nanomaterials, nanosensors, inks and more. Having built its business providing research services to high-profile clients such as the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. military, APNT is just beginning to commercialize its technology in such high-growth sectors as renewable energy, consumer goods, and more. To learn why RedChip analysts consider the stock a great buy at current prices, read RedChip Research’s recently published research report on APNT. You can also see and hear directly from APNT’s CEO, Doug Baker, by watching the Company’s presentation from our November conference at the Harvard Club in New York.

Disclosure: The subject security is a client of RedChip Companies, Inc. RedChip Companies, Inc., employees and affiliates may have positions and affect transactions in the securities or options of the issuers mentioned herein. For full financial disclosures for all RedChip clients, please visit http://www.redchip.com/disclosures.asp?src=rcv.

The Delaware Basin, a component of the larger Permian Basin, is home to the Bone Spring play, an area of focus in Concho’s recent acquisition spree. Another company currently developing acreage in the heart of the 1^st and 2^nd Bone Spring play is Cross Border Resources (OTCQX: XBOR). XBOR currently owns varying, non-operated working interests, some as high as 37.5%, in the play, and is teamed up with major operating partners that include Cimarex (NYSE: XEC), Apache (NYSE: APA), and Mewbourne.

By analyzing some of the valuation metrics from Concho’s acquisition spree we can get a very clear picture that shows how undervalued XBOR is at its current pricing.

In the Concho transactions, reserves were valued at approximately $55 per barrel of oil equivalent (BOE). Taking this metric against XBOR’s October 7, 2011 proved reserves of 2.57million barrels of oil equivalent (MMBOE) we land at a valuation of over $141 million – substantially higher than XBOR’s current market cap of only $26 million.

Looking at the value of production for the acquired acreage, Concho paid roughly $220,000 per flowing barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOED). XBOR last reported its production on October 20, 2011 at 308 BOED and anticipates it will exit the year at 500 BOED. At the rate Concho paid, XBOR should have a valuation of $110 million by the end of the quarter, a 300% premium to today’s valuation.

A third metric we can extract from the Concho acquisitions is the value per net acre it paid for the properties. With a total purchase of 114,000 net acres for $330 million, this means Concho paid an average of $2,895 per net acre. XBOR currently owns approximately 31,000 net acres in the Permian Basin, which would equate to nearly $90 million using the net acre value from the Concho transactions.

It’s quite obvious XBOR is substantially undervalued at its current market cap of only $26 million. All three valuation metrics we extracted from the Concho transactions clearly show XBOR to be trading at roughly a 75% or greater discount to its fair value. Bottom-line, investors taking advantage of XBOR at current prices have a tremendous profit opportunity.

Disclosure: The subject security is a client of RedChip Companies, Inc. RedChip Companies, Inc., employees and affiliates may have positions and affect transactions in the securities or options of the issuers mentioned herein. For full financial disclosures for all RedChip clients, please visit http://www.redchip.com/disclosures.asp?src=rcv.

The demand for nanotech is rapidly growing, particularly in markets such as healthcare, defense, cleantech and consumer goods. Researchers at Ohio State University recently discovered a way to deliver cancer-fighting biomolecules into leukemia cells, and earlier this month, an international research team revealed an artificial muscle with the strength of an electric motor and the flexibility of an elephant’s trunk. Lux Research forecasts that the global market for nanotechnology could reach $2.5 trillion by 2015.

One pure play in the nanotech space is Applied Nanotech Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: APNT), a Texas-based research and commercialization company. APNT’s technologies have numerous applications across a range of high-growth markets. Reaching profitability and revenues of $8 million in 2010, APNT is entering a period of accelerated growth resulting from the introduction of a number of breakthrough products powered by its technology.

APNT has historically generated revenue by providing research and development services for corporations and government agencies. Among its clients are the National Institutes of Health and branches of the U.S. military. Through its research, the Company’s technology portfolio has ballooned to over 300 patents (150 issued and over 150 pending) in the areas of nanoelectronics, carbon nanotube (CNT) enhanced composites, thermal management materials, sensors, and electron emission technology. With leading manufacturers seeking to license APNT’s various technologies, the Company is negotiating lucrative royalty agreements, enabling it to share in the sales of end products developed by its clients.

The commercialization of APNT’s technology is exemplified by the Company’s partnership with Yonex, a Japanese sporting goods giant, which uses APNT’s Nanopreme carbon composite material in its golf clubs and badminton racquets. The use of Nanopreme results in products that are lighter, stronger and more resilient than conventional clubs and racquets. In the case of golf clubs, this results in greater distance, giving golfers the edge they constantly seek. Yonex plans to release additional products using Nanopreme in the future. APNT has begun receiving ongoing royalty payments from future sales of Yonex products that use the Company’s technologies.

Another of APNT’s products capitalizes on the cleantech boom. The Company has developed spray-on metallic inks for solar wafers, which could make solar power more affordable. The process reduces the thickness of solar panels, is more efficient than traditional application methods, and eliminates the risk of breakage during the application process, resulting in lower production costs. The Company was awarded $1.6 million from the U.S. Department of Energy last year to develop this technology. More information about APNT’s solar ink technology is available in this recent Fox 7 news feature on the Company.

Bottom-line, APNT has a high-profile customer base, a strong balance sheet, and a 51% top-line CAGR for the fiscal years 2006 to 2010. Due to low visibility in the capital markets, its stock currently trades below $0.50, offering considerable upside for investors. With nanotechnology poised to transform everything from medicine to mobile phones, and APNT entering a phase of rapid commercialization, now is an excellent time to begin building a position in this stock.

To learn more about this exciting story, you can view an archived recording of the Company’s recent presentation at our virtual conference by clicking here.

Disclosure: The subject security is a client of RedChip Companies, Inc. RedChip Companies, Inc., employees and affiliates may have positions and affect transactions in the securities or options of the issuers mentioned herein. For full financial disclosures for all RedChip clients, please visit http://www.redchip.com/disclosures.asp?src=rcv.