Small Three-Phase Inverters Stealing the Show Says IMS Research, but for How Long?The PV inverter market has achieved remarkable growth in the past few years.
Wellingborough, UK [WorldofPhotovoltaics.com]
Highest demand for PV inverters in 2010 will come from both the
smallest and the largest three-phase inverters, according a
recently released report on the market from IMS Research, with
shipments of inverters rated below 35kW and above 500kW growing
at nearly 50% faster than the rest of the market.
The PV inverter market has achieved remarkable growth in the
past few years, overcoming the collapse of the Spanish market to
produce record shipments in 2009, a feat set to be broken again
in 2010 with close to 17 GW of shipments forecast by
IMS Research. This has
attracted many new entrants to the market especially suppliers
already active in similar markets such as industrial drives and
UPS. However while these suppliers have transferred their
expertise in high power and produced large central inverters, it
is the smaller three-phase products which are predicted to
capture greater share in the short-term.
IMS Research’s recently published report has revealed that
shipments of small three-phase inverters rated around 10-20kW
are forecast to grow by around 170% in 2010. Inverters rated at
over 500kW are projected to grow at a similar rate but capturing
a smaller share of the market. In the longer- term however, much
faster growth is predicted for these larger inverters with
utility-scale installations emerging rapidly, though due to
their inherently lower price per Watt, these inverters will
still only account for 10% of revenues in 2014.
IMS Research PV analyst Tom Haddon commented “Recently, demand for PV inverters in commercial installations appears to be splitting into two clear categories: very small three-phase products or very large central inverters.” “While mid-sized central inverters offer a lower initial investment cost, shipments of inverters in the 10-20kW range have increased massively in 2010, with a range of new models being released by major suppliers such as SMA, Kaco, SolarMax and Power-One. These products offer greater system design flexibility, easier installation and higher energy yields, and also better grid integration, a crucial factor given the medium voltage directive and reactive power legislation in Germany.”, Haddon added. Although it is forecast that these units will lose some market share to larger central inverters in the longer term as the emerging markets of the USA, India and China drive demand for MW sized sub-stations, in the medium term, smaller three-phase models are forecast to be one of the prime revenue generators as their adaptable nature can be applied to installations ranging from small commercial to multi-megawatt utility-scale installations. Source: IMS Research |
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