Canadian Solar Inc. on Tuesday said its third-quarter profit more than doubled on a hefty foreign currency exchange gain, boosting shares in premarket trading. The solar products maker also forecast a surge in 2010 shipments, as it expects demand to rebound.

The outlook for the solar industry might not be glowing, but its a lot brighter than it was a year ago when financing and demand dried up, abruptly ending what some might consider a golden age.

Solar energy system maker Canadian Solar Inc. on Tuesday raised its outlook for third-quarter shipments and issued a revenue forecast above expectations.

Large-scale rollouts of solar farms in Europe in the past few years have virtually commoditized photovoltaic solar technology as an energy source, and huge installations on the way in the United States and China will cement that process.