The cost of solar in Japan declined as much as 15% in one year, but a lack of clear policy direction from the government has left a number of businesses with a “pessimistic” outlook of the industry’s future, according to a survey by the Japan Renewable Energy Foundation (JREF).
Kyocera is targeting the German market for self-consumed solar electricity, with the Japanese company preparing to launch a home energy storage system in May.
Major PV inverter manufacturer Sungrow Power Holdings said that 50 SG1000TS central inverters were used at a recently completed 50MW PV power plant built by Jinko Power Company, a subsidiary of PV module manufacturer, JinkoSolar in Jiangxi Province, China.
Japan’s residential and small commercial solar industry could represent a “huge, huge opportunity” for suppliers of inverters and module-level power electronics, according to an analyst with market research firm IHS.
The worldwide market for balance of systems (BOS) for solar power could be worth US$21 billion by 2019, with the greatest activity expected to be seen in the commercial sector, according to a new report from analysis firm IHS.
ABB, an inverter company, has been selected to supply more than 45 of its ULTRA central inverters to the second-largest installation of its kind in South America.
Major PV inverter manufacturer Sungrow Power Supply has reported preliminary 2014 shipments, which include around 20% growth in China and 47% shipment growth overseas, compared to the previous year.
Inverter manufacturers face a growing but increasingly tough market over the next four years characterised by cost pressures and ever tighter margins, GTM Research claims.
