Growth, Market Share and Dynamic Change in The PV Inverter Industry

The PV inverter market, once short of innovation, has seen a surge of investment in the last few years. Spurred by startup advances, established firms like SMA, Satcon, and National Semiconductor are developing new distributed PV electronics technologies in-house or through acquisition. This Special Report from Greentech Media, sponsored by Enphase Energy, takes a look at the state of innovation in the inverter market, VC investment activity, and the emerging leaders in the $2.4 billion PV inverter market.

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As the price of PV falls, the technology will become more competitively priced in Europe and the U.S. before its prices are competitive in China.

CPV: New Applications and Emerging Markets
November 16, 2009

Hot Startup »

Solar Startup Solasta Seeks Next Round

The solar firm was founded in 2006 with A round funding from Kleiner Perkins and claims its process could increase the efficiency of conventional amorphous silicon PV by up to 150 percent.

Manufacturing

Enphase Creates Two-in-One Microinverter Pack

The startup has designed a new product that it says would cut time and labor costs, particularly for commercial systems.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 27, 2009
Cutting the Fat, and Cost, Out of Solar

Lose the rack, says Zep Solar. Where is that confounded module?

Startups
Michael Kanellos October 26, 2009
Solar Roundup: 6MW Solar Neighborhood, PG&E Buys 500MW

Solar companies have announced products, deals and manufacturing plans ahead of a major industry conference.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 26, 2009
72 Different Kinds of Solar Cells?

Efficiency is moving back to center stage, while Intermolecular says that the big guys are going to need the brains of the startups.

Startups
Michael Kanellos October 23, 2009
National Semi Buys Energy Recommerce

National Semi, which launched devices for boosting solar panel performance earlier this year, now adds power monitoring software and service to its offerings.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 22, 2009
First Solar IPO in Over a Year Is Coming

STR, an encapsulant maker in Connecticut that counts First Solar and SunPower among its customers, could raise $212.2 million

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 22, 2009
Solar Winners: Auto Parts Makers

Skyline Solar, which is raising another round of funding, lines up a car parts maker to produce its concentrating solar systems.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 22, 2009
Suntech Forms Alliances to Launch ‘Reliathon’ for Utility Market

The solar panel maker is packaging a new line of panels with trackers and inverters from other makers to entice project developers.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 21, 2009
First Solar Joins S&P 500

With the company joining the S&P 500 list, it’s hard not to notice that solar is getting downright mainstream.

Manufacturing
Michael Kanellos October 16, 2009
Siemens Buys Solel for $418M

The German version of General Electric makes a big play in solar thermal. Expect acquisitions to continue.

Manufacturing
Michael Kanellos October 15, 2009
Morgan Solar Raises $4.7M, Opens Pilot Line for CPV

The Toronto startup lines up Iberdrola as an investor and hopes to start shipping commercial solar concentrating systems in 2010.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 9, 2009
Solarion Plans for 10MW-Plus Commercial Line in 2010

The company has been producing CIGS thin films with plastic substrate at its 200-kilowatt pilot line, and is now set for commercial product launch next year.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 8, 2009
EU’s New Solar Plan Falls Short, Says Industry Group

The European Commission releases a new technology plan to curb carbon emissions, and includes a Smart Cities Initiative for the first time to promote energy efficiency measures.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 7, 2009
Soliant Gets New CEO to Evangelize Concentrating PV

The California startup has a new chief executive at a time when it’s planning for commercial production in 2010.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 6, 2009
Dow to Roofers: Our Solar Shingles Are Coming

The chemical giant says it will launch shingles with CIGS cells in 2010 and plans to work first with homebuilders in North America.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 5, 2009
SolarWorld Plans U.S. Factory Expansion Amid Tough Competition

The Germany solar company plans to more than double its production of solar cells and panels in the United States by 2011. The company appears to be lagging behind three competitors in the California market, an analyst says.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 5, 2009
Running the Solar Gaunlet

Underwriters Laboratories has seen a boom in its solar panel certification service as manufacturers build more factories to meet a growing global demand for renewable energy.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 5, 2009
Solar Roundup: First Solar Sells Project, Evergreen Plagued by Crickets

First Solar is selling a 20-megawatt Canadian plant to a natural gas distributor. Meanwhile, REC says the market in 2010 will likely remain weak.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 2, 2009
Stirling Energy Sets for 2010 Mass Production, $2.2B Solar Thermal Project

The Arizona startup has signed up suppliers for two key components of its SunCatcher, which uses the Stirling engine to generate electricity.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 2, 2009
China Report: Solar Capacity Could Jump to 1GW or More by 2011

A new GTM Research report looks at the dynamics of China’s power industry and how they would affect the deployment of solar policies.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 1, 2009