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.

Third-Gen Thin-Film Solar Technologies: Forecasting the Future of Dye-Sensitized and Organic PV
October 8, 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.

Projects

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
First Solar Buys Land Option From Ausra for Topaz Project

The land, next to the parcel originally set aside for Topaz, will help First Solar avoid political tussles over building on farmland protected by Williamson Act.

Solar
Ucilia Wang November 4, 2009
Stimulus Money for Energy Companies Going, Going…

Matt Rogers, Senior Advisor to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, says 85 percent of the selections for grants have been made.

Policy
Michael Kanellos October 30, 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
Germany Installs 2.34GW, FIT to Decline 9-11%

Demand in Germany has picked up since mid-year. The new ruling coalition seeks to calm fears of a cut to the country’s solar incentives.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 30, 2009
Is Energy the Key to China’s Brand Name Dreams?

China is moving from supplying equipment to building energy parks in the U.S. and financing them.

Solar
Michael Kanellos October 29, 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
Robert Kennedy on Being Subversive

The environmental activist and VC talks up his love of green energy, opposition to a Feinstein bill, and concern about Chinese solar companies ‘flooding the market’ with their products.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 28, 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
Chinese Company to Build Solar Power Plants in U.S. With Duke

China’s ENN gets its factories from Applied Materials in the U.S. and will work with Duke to build power plants here.

Projects
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
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
Solar Declines in Price by More than 30%, But Don’t Credit the Panel

Being cheap to employees and cutting overhead has helped drive the solar market.

Policy
Michael Kanellos October 20, 2009
Feds Budget $750M for ‘Conventional’ Renewable Energy Generation

The new loan guarantee program will support as much as $8 billion in loans for power plants using more mature solar, wind and other technologies.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 7, 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
PG&E Says Renewable Power Prices in an Upswing

It looks like a problem of growing pains, but PG&E CEO Pete Darbee says that the price of renewable power has been trickling uphill.

Policy
Michael Kanellos October 2, 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