2014 PV Inverter Service Market Growth 480%

According to the latest research report from IMS Research, the multi-million dollar market for PV inverter service plans and extended warranty period will grow by more than 480% between 2010 and 2014, creating tremendous growth opportunities for inverter suppliers.

According to the 200-page report from IMS Research, in 2010, the warranty period for string inverters and multi-string inverters was extended, and the market for centralized inverter service plans accounted for a smaller proportion of the inverter hardware market. 10%. However, it is expected that the market will grow significantly in 2014, surpassing the increase in hardware sales revenue. In the 2010 extended warranty service market, the highest penetration rates were observed in the Czech Republic and Germany, mainly due to the high proportion of decentralized PV power stations installed in these markets and the topology of inverters used in commercial-scale installations. structure. Products such as SMA's Tripower, Kaco's Powador, and Sputnik's SolarMaxMT series also offer three-phase grid-tied and flexible designs for larger systems. At the same time, the type of installation of these inverters is more favored by investors and often requires an extended warranty period to reduce risk.

North America set a record for the highest surcharge rate for centralized inverter service contracts in 2010, mainly due to the high proportion of large-scale, megawatt-scale PV power plants in Ontario and the United States. In addition, companies such as Satcon and Advanced Energy Industries actively promote service plans and strive to differentiate themselves in the highly competitive large-scale centralized inverter market. According to the forecast, during the forecast period, the service contract additional rate will increase, partly benefiting from the rapid growth of the market, such as the large-scale utility-level installations in the US, China, and India, thanks to the emphasis on risk reduction and the supplier’s The active promotion of these high-margin service plans.

Tom Haddon, the author of the report and IMS Research photovoltaic analyst, pointed out: "As photovoltaic power generation is adopted as a feasible utility-grade power generation source, service contracts are increasingly becoming important decisions for customers when choosing inverter suppliers. When a one-hour outage will cause investors to suffer huge revenue losses, the supplier's reputation and the breadth of service contracts will be important considerations."

Like the inverter hardware market, SMA also accounted for more than 35% of the service market in 2010. The company showed a more favorable position in the service area than the inverter hardware, thanks to the company's high regard for the SunnyPro club and its strong brand reputation.