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.

Technology

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
Toyota Developing Solar-Powered EV Charging Station

The electricity generated by the solar cells is first stored in storage batteries and then used to charge electric vehicles.

Solar
Tech-On! 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
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
MIT, Storage, ‘Direct Solar’ Among DOE Research Grant Winners

MIT and startups from the university were some of the recipients of a $151 million round of DOE grants.

Solar
Michael Kanellos October 26, 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
DayStar Technologies Loses CEO, Again

The struggling CIGS thin-film company, which also canceled a merger plan with EPOD Solar, is now on its fourth chief executive this year.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 21, 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
SolarEdge Lines Up GE as Investor

The Israeli outfit wants to take on National Semi and others in improving solar panels with electronics. In solar, it’s the big growth field.

Solar
Ucilia Wang October 14, 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
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
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