A couple of days back, I took a look at GT Solar (SOLR: sentiment, chart, options) and its initial public offering (IPO), which took place today. To say that it has been an eventful day for SOLR would be an understatement, as trading was halted and the stock has dropped 11%. As we head into the last half hour of trading, shares of the new solar kid on the block are slightly more than 11% lower, crossing the tape at $14.66.

SOLR raised $500 million in the IPO, the largest in the U.S. alternative-energy market this year. However, it could have been better, as SOLR went public in the wake of a sizeable loss for crude ($20 in the prior 7 days) and the overall economic doom and gloom projected by investors. Of course, timing is everything.