Inverters for renewable energy applications

The invertor industry is facing a very pivotal point in its history. It is going through the intense phrase of advance technological innovation, but also contention. Inverters are increasingly a focal point for investors, regulators, and project developers looking to find a balance between functionality, reliability, and safety. The increasing number of technical standards and requirements for connecting to the AC electric grid are formidable, but companies are, for the most part, rising to the challenge.

Incumbent inverter manufacturers SMA, Fronius, Satcon, Power-One, KACO new energy, and Ingeteam have the advantage of size and market reach. However, disruptive technological innovation by well-funded startups and early-stage companies is rapidly changing the face of the industry. Many see microinverter technology as the future of distributed
solar photovoltaics (PV), while others see it as the next step in a larger transition to fully-integrated AC modules. Against this backdrop of rapid technological change and a dynamic competitive landscape, the global inverter market will grow significantly over the next several years.

This Pike Research report analyzes the global market opportunity for inverters in four key industry sectors: solar PV, stationary fuel cells, small wind, and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) enabled electric vehicles. The report explores the key market drivers in each sector, along with an examination of technology issues and the evolving competitive landscape. Global market forecasts for inverter revenue and capacity are provided through 2017, segmented by application area and world region.