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.

Startups

India Wants 20GW of Solar by 2020

The government approves a $19 billion program to boost manufacturing and generation, but getting to that goal might not be so easy.

Solar
Ucilia Wang November 20, 2009
Swapping CIGS for Silicon

AQT plans to launch production of its thin-film cells that will look like conventional silicon cells but at much cheaper price, its CEO says.

Solar
Ucilia Wang November 20, 2009
MiaSolé Begins Shipping CIGS Panels

The CIGS thin-film maker has kept a low profile for most of the past year. Now it has something to brag about: customers and plans to boost production.

Solar
Ucilia Wang November 18, 2009
Cleantech Open: It’s All About the Chemicals

Green chemistry seems to be one of the more interesting topics at today’s Cleantech Open in San Francisco.

Startups
Michael Kanellos November 17, 2009
Is the DOE Loan Guarantee a Good Deal?

The sought-after renewable energy loan guarantee program is underway, but it may not pan out as a cost-effective way to borrow money.

Solar
Ucilia Wang November 17, 2009
Ausra on the Block: Get Used to Acquisitions in Solar

After failing to win the big solar contracts, the solar thermal expert changed its business model. Will conglomerates ultimately control green?

Solar
Michael Kanellos November 16, 2009
Solar Industry Lobbies for Manufacturing Tax Credit, Cash Grant

A new federal bill introduced this week would make it eligible for solar energy equipment makers to apply for a cash grant for factory construction.

Solar
Ucilia Wang November 11, 2009
China Solar Power Buys ThinSilicon, Enters Amorphous Silicon Fray

CSP just began commercial production in China and sees acquisitions as key in competing against crystalline silicon and other thin film players.

Solar
Ucilia Wang November 10, 2009
Konarka Runs ‘Solar Curtain Wall’ Pilot

The organic solar cell developer teams up with Arch Aluminum & Glass to test colored solar panels for building wall construction.

Solar
Ucilia Wang November 10, 2009
SF Supervisor to SolarCity: Where’s That Job Training Program?

A spat over SolarCity’s promise to provide job training highlights San Francisco’s struggle to create ‘green’ jobs.

Solar
Ucilia Wang November 9, 2009
Vela Solaris Tackles the Solar Puzzle

The Swiss startup licenses software for designing solar thermal heating and cooling or electric systems. Expect more software developers to jump into the solar market.

Solar
Ucilia Wang November 5, 2009
Ampulse Raises $8M to Marry Silicon With Thin-Film Production

UPDATE: Ampulse’s new board member, Daniel Leff of Globespan Capital Partners, says Ampulse is on a “radically different cost curve.” The startup’s technology deposits a thin layer of monocrystalline silicon on a flexible sheet of metal.

Solar
Ucilia Wang November 3, 2009
SPI: Solar Quandaries and Strategies

Another Solar Power International has come and gone. This year was cautiously optimistic as the industry has begun to recover from a shaky 2008.

Solar
Frank Smith October 30, 2009
Masdar PV: First Commercial Project and Factory Expansion

The startup amorphous-silicon thin-film maker, backed by Abu Dhabi, plans to ship panels with two layers of amorphous silicon next year.

Manufacturing
Ucilia Wang October 29, 2009
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
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
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