While the Market for micro-inverters and technologies such as distributed maximum power point tracking (MPPT) products remain in their infancy — with just one supplier shipping in volume — it is set to grow rapidly. According to recent analysis of the global photovoltaic inverter market by IMS Research, technologies for solar-inverter applications are projected to generate close to $700 million over the next five years.
Several new start-ups like SolarEdge Technologies (www.solaredge.com), and semiconductor behemoths such as National Semiconductor (www.national.com), are releasing products and aggressively targeting the photovoltaic market with new solutions that will have a significant effect on the solar inverter landscape. “These disruptive products offer a number of important advantages over traditional inverter topologies, and supply agreements have already been signed with major photovoltaic integrators and module suppliers,” said IMS Research Director Ash Sharma. “However, we anticipate, initially at least, that use of these products will be restricted to small rooftop applications that suffer from partial shading.
“With this assumption, IMS Research still anticipates a significant market for these products, serving over 1 GW of global PV installations by 2013, more than 5% of the market.”
Analysis of the emerging micro-inverter and distributed MPPT market, as well as the whole photovoltaic inverter market, is included in the “The World Market for PV Inverters”.
IMS Research is a supplier of market research and consultancy services on a wide range of global electronics markets. The company is supported by headquarters in Wellingborough, UK and offices in Austin, Texas and Shanghai, China.
