Most-Read Solar Reports of 2014 From GTM Research

If research business indicates future hot solar markets, here’s the list of emerging sectors.

Mike Munsell December 01, 2014

Mike Munsell

Marketing Manager
GTM Research

Mike Munsell is a Marketing Manager with GTM Research. Mike covers key findings from GTM Research's solar, grid edge and energy storage reports and data services. He also hosts GTM's weekly Energy News Quiz.

Last week, we shared GTM Research's most-read reports of the year pertaining to the grid edge. This week we're taking a look at the topics that resonated with the solar industry in 2014.

1. U.S. Residential Solar Financing 2014-2018

The 2013 edition of the residential PV finance report topped last year's list, and this year was no different. In the report, GTM Research predicts that solar leases will peak in 2014 and that loans will begin to gain market share. Shortly after the release of the report, market leader SolarCity announced its own loan program.

2. The Microinverter and DC Optimizer Landscape 2014: The Evolution From Market Niche to Market Success

Led by Enphase, SolarEdge Technologies and Tigo Energy, the microinverter and DC optimizer market topped 1 gigawatt in annual installations in 2013. This growing market is hotly debated in the industry -- and in Greentechmedia.com article comments. GTM Research clients voted with their wallets, making The Microinverter and DC Optimizer Landscape 2014 the second-bestselling report of the year.

3. Megawatt-Scale PV O&M and Asset Management: Services, Markets and Competitors 2014-2018

Released just over a month ago, GTM Research and SoliChamba Consulting's annual O&M report skyrocketed up the list to earn the third spot in the ranking of the most-read solar reports. This year's edition profiles 60 vendors and was expanded to include asset management, addressing market landscapes, services, strategies, and cost factors.

4. U.S. Solar Carport Market 2014-2018: Landscape, Outlook and Leading Companies

2014 will mark the fourth consecutive year of 100 or more megawatts of solar PV carports installed across the United States. This niche market is quickly expanding, and with low barriers to entry, the carport competitive landscape is becoming increasingly crowded. Clients have purchased this report to understand that landscape, get system pricing breakdowns, and read analyst Scott Moskowitz's state-by-state strategic market analysis.

5. PV Module Reliability Scorecard 2014

GTM Research partnered with DNV GL to run tier-1 solar modules through a battery of tests and analyze the results. Module manufacturers whose products were tested included Yingli Solar, Jinko Solar, ReneSola, Trina Solar, Suntech and more. It's the first apples-to-apples comparison of its kind, and the report identifies leaders across each performance metric. Solar manufacturers, developers, and investors purchased this report to see how the different manufacturers in the space stack up.