PV inverters are the essential part of the entire solar power generation because of their role of converting direct current into alternating current. Therefore, these manufacturers always draw the attention of the public as solar panel makers do. As for these manufactures, there are lots of facts that interest the public, and the following 5 facts are among them.
1.The top 10 PV inverter manufactuers swap positions frequently.
No one can be king all the time. According to IHS research reports, Fronius was ranked the second among the top 10 in 2008, while it fell out of list in 2013. And the second place was replaced by ABB. From 2008 to 2013, Ingeteam, Siemens, Sputnik, Cornergy and Elettronica Santerno disappeared from the entire list. And three companies from Japan, One from China and two from the US were ranked on the list. In 2008, the list was nearly dominated by Europe. From 2014 to 2015, the biggest player SMA has been losing market share fast. Its topmost position is not steady anymore, and Huawei, the company from China is now grabbing so much of the market share. Its inverter shipments are considered the most in the world.
2.More competitive suppliers from Asia are among the top 10.
The solar PV market skewing to Asia and the US is now more and more obvious. In 2013 three Japanese and one Chinese PV inverter suppliers were ranked in the top 10, and only four companies were from Europe. The rest two were from the US. As time goes by, with SMA's king-position toppling down, solar companies like China's Huawei is considered the biggest supplier today. China's Sungrow (ranked 5th in 2013) is still growing. And companies from India are also working hard to become excellent suppliers. Su-kam is one of their representatives.
3.Microinverter supplier even squeezes into the ranking.
Microinverters are mainly used in distributed solar PV systems, which are mainly installed in residential and commercial buildings. In 2013, Enphase was ranked 9th among the top 10. The company is still expanding business in the world, and now it is considered the best microinverter maker in the world. No reports have revealed its business decline. As distributed solar continues to grow, more microinverters will be needed. Compared with string inverters, microinverters have more problems to deal with for technicians. Being not steady is their biggest problem. If companies want to win more customers and be ranked on the list, solving this problem is indispensable.
4.The top 10 suppliers don't guarantee they are the cheapest.
The top 10 suppliers are from Europe, Japan, China and the US, and their pricing differs largely from one another due to their specific conditions, mainly costs. Some may be cheap, while others appear expensive. In general, they price their products to fit the local environments. Generally speaking, products from China are cheaper, and those from Japan, Europe and the US are expensive and different in pricing. They cannot guarantee they manufacture the cheapest products, but they probably apply the best technology of the world. To buy cheap quality products, you had better check the information of the medium- and small-sized companies. For example, Omnik New Energy, a medium-sized PV inverter supply can be your consideration.
5.Those among the top 10 are seeking overseas cooperation.
Cooperation aims to earn more money for two or more companies. The giant SMA is seeking cooperation in Asia, for it learns Asia is the market it cannot miss. In China and India it all has cooperators. ABB is also doing this job in the two countries. Those that are excellent in Japan seem to have forgotten to expand their business in its neighboring country and other nations. Chinese companies Huawei and Sungrow are also seeking cooperation with overseas PV inverter makers too. This is the new rule of this industry.
Conclusion
As solar power continues to become popular, the competition among these suppliers will become even fiercer. Yesterday's successful players may not find their names on the top list, and those that didn't do well may meet new amazing opportunities to develop their business further. Therefore, facts about those on the list are changing fast, and you need to be careful to find out new important facts.
