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.

Policy

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
Cal May Add 365MW in 2009, Still Short of 20% Mandate

California’s utilities are signing gigawatts of renewable electricity contracts, but getting those electrons hasn’t been so easy.

Policy
Ucilia Wang October 30, 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
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
What the Solar Industry Wants in a Climate Change Bill

The Solar Energy Industries Association is asking members to pony up for a big political battle against oil and coal industries.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 27, 2009
Green Jobs: Trickling In?

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis outlines her department and other federal agencies’ efforts to create green jobs, but the full impact of these programs isn’t likely be felt until 2010.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 27, 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
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
Energy and Health: The $120B Hidden Cost

A National Research Council report quantifies how energy production and use poses a significant and expensive risk to humans.

Policy
Ucilia Wang October 19, 2009
Power Consumption Down for a Year in U.S., Solar Dips Too

Blame it on the recession. Power consumption has declined for 12 months, says the EIA. And there’s been a slight dip in solar.

Policy
Michael Kanellos October 16, 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
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
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
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
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
Wacker Ditches Solar Wafer Biz, China to Curb Silicon Oversupply

Wacker Chemie is giving up its share of the solar wafer business with Schott to focus on making silicon at a time when silicon prices have dived.

Solar
Ucilia Wang September 30, 2009