Vendor Assessment: Industry Short List for Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverters for the North American Market

Vendor Assessment: Industry Short List for Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverters for the North American Market published by IDC Energy Insights in June, 2010. This report consists of Pages: 30 and the price starts from US $ 4500.

Introduction

Abstract

This IDC Energy Insights report evaluates the vendors supplying utility-scale inverters (100kW and larger) for photovoltaic installations for the PV developer and utilities markets. Inverters are fast evolving from simple boxes that convert DC power into AC power to intelligent devices that sense, monitor, and control the PV array and the flow of current from it. This transformation of the inverter makes it an especially difficult purchasing decision for solar developers and utilities buyers, as the landscape is shifting so rapidly and the technological innovations are coming in such a fast and furious manner. Inverters are in the process of transforming from an afterthought in the PV system to the central processing unit of the system and a key determinant to its lifetime performance.

According to Sam Jaffe, coauthor of the report and research manager, Distributed and Energy Strategies at IDC Energy Insights, "The three fundamental legs that support a buying decision in the inverter field are cost, efficiency, and long-term reliability. The inverter is no longer a box of wires and parts bolted onto a PV array — it has become the heart and brains of the system."

Table of Contents

• IDC Energy Insights Opinion
• In This Study
• Methodology
• IDC Industry Short List
• Market Definition
• Vendors Reviewed
• Situation Overview
• Introduction
• Product and Service Trends
• Inverter Suppliers
• Evaluation Criteria
• Fit to Market (X-Axis)
• Product Features — 1
• Performance — 2
• Reliability — 2
• Service Options — 1
• Service Capacity — 2
• Product Range — 1
• Cost to Implement — 2
• Cost to Maintain — 2
• Ownership Confidence (Y-Axis)
• Supplier' s Market Share — 1
• Supplier' s Financial Strength — 2
• Level of R&D Investment — 1
• Customer Satisfaction with Initial Implementation — 1
• Customer Satisfaction with Ongoing Performance — 2
• Industry Short List Evaluations
• Vendor Profiles
• Advanced Energy Industries — Bipolar Strength
• General Electric — From Wind to Solar
• Ingeteam — A Robust Range of Products
• KACO — A Mini Powerhouse
• PV Powered — Focus on Long Life Span
• Satcon — Transforming the Dumb Box
• Schneider Electric (Xantrex) — A Turnkey Solution
• Siemens — The Grandfather of the Industry
• SMA — Market Leader
• Solectria — Hot-Swappable
• Future Outlook
• Essential Guidance
• Actions to Consider
• Learn More
• Related Research
• Appendix
• Synopsis
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Vendor Overview
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Vendor Efficiency Ratings
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Vendor Ratings for Fit to Market Needs (X-Axis) Attributes
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Vendor Ratings for Ownership Confidence (Y-Axis) Attributes
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Definition of Ratings for Product Features
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Definition of Ratings for Performance
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Definition of Ratings for Reliability
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Definition of Ratings for Service Capacity
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Definition of Ratings for Service Options
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Definition of Ratings for Product Range
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Definition of Ratings for Cost to Implement
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Definition of Ratings for Cost to Maintain Warrantees/Guarantees
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Definition of Ratings for Supplier' s Market Share
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Definition of Ratings for Supplier' s Financial Strength
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Definition of Ratings for Supplier' s R&D Investment Level
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Definition of Ratings for Customer Satisfaction with Implementation
• Table: Industry Short List for the Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market: Definition of Ratings for Customer Satisfaction with Ongoing Performance
• Figure: A Typical Photovoltaic System
• Figure: Industry Short List: Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Inverter Market

Related Reports