These 5 Green Stocks Have Crushed Clean Energy ETFs, S&P 500 And AI Funds In 2026

• Bloom Energy has come out on top, gaining more than 223% this year, while its rival FuelCell Energy has also posted triple-digit returns. 
• Mid-cap companies Vicor Corporation and Enlight Renewable Energy have gained about 97% and 58% in 2026.
• Aspen Aerogels, a small-cap advanced materials company, has posted gains of more than 81% year to date. 

In 2026, energy stocks saw a steady climb amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, while the artificial intelligence trade has also gained momentum throughout the year. 

However, behind the scenes, some green companies in the sustainable sector have quietly been outperforming many of their popular counterparts. 

Top names that have performed strongly this year include Bloom Energy Corp. (BE), FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FCEL), Vicor Corp. (VICR), Aspen Aerogels, Inc. (ASPN), and Enlight Renewable Energy Ltd. (ENLT). 

BE, FCEL, VICR, ASPN, ENLT Stocks OutShine Clean Energy ETFs

While Bloom Energy, which makes solid-oxide fuel cell systems for on-site power generation, has come out on top amidst all its counterparts, gaining more than 223% this year, its rival FuelCell Energy has also posted triple-digit returns. AI-driven power demand has boosted both stocks. 

Meanwhile, Vicor Corporation, a mid-cap AI power-delivery company that designs and manufactures modular power components and power systems that convert and deliver electricity efficiently inside high-performance electronic equipment, has returned more than 97% in value this year. 

Enlight Renewable Energy, another mid-cap renewable-energy company that develops and operates utility-scale solar, wind and energy-storage projects across multiple markets, has risen about 58% in the same period. 

Aspen Aerogels, a small-cap advanced materials company that designs and manufactures high-performance aerogel materials used in EV battery thermal barriers, energy-efficient insulation and other energy applications, has posted gains of more than 81% in 2026.

All the five green stocks have outperformed popular clean energy exchange-traded funds by a wide margin. The iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) and the First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund (QCLN) have risen about 8% each this year.

Top 5 Green Stocks Beat Benchmark Indexes, AI ETFs

BE, FCEL, VICR, ASPN, and ENLT have also outperformed the benchmark U.S. indexes — S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the Nasdaq-100.

When compared to the AI sector, BE, FCEL, VICR and ASPN stocks have outperformed top chip funds iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) and VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH), and also beat the Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ). 

ENLT stock, although underperforming the SOXX, has still beat SMH and AIQ in 2026. 

BE, FCEL, VICR, ASPN, ENLT Stocks: Retail Stance

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around BE and FCEL stocks was ‘bearish’ at the time of writing amid ‘normal’ and ‘low’ message volumes respectively. 

Retail sentiment for ASPN stock was ‘neutral’ amid ‘high’ message volumes. Meanwhile, sentiment for ENLT and VICR was ‘bullish’ and ‘extremely bullish’ respectively. 

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