SMA Solar continues market share shenanigans

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Both PV Tech and market research firm IHS have repeatedly highlighted for several years that SMA Solar’s view on its market share position in the PV inverter market differs considerably from our own analysis. 

In reporting financial results for the first nine months of 2014, SMA Solar noted in its investor presentation that it expected its global market share (in revenue terms) for 2014 to be around 20%. 

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

However, in actual market share based on gigawatts installed the company pointed to a share range of 13% to 15%. 

In a release from IHS after SMA Solar reported earnings the market research firm estimated that the company’s global market share for the first nine months of the year was 13%, having been as high as 34% in 2011. 

SMA Solar highlighted in its presentation to investors that it was striving to increase market share in 2014, primarily by expected strong sales in the fourth quarter. 

However, according to IHS, SMA Solar’s market share in 2013 was said to be only 16%, so by SMA Solar’s own projections its share would actually decline by at least 1% in 2014. 

Another perennial distortion in the way SMA Solar calculates its market share is by underestimating global PV installations.

Nothing has really changed in its latest earnings presentation, declaring that it expects global PV installs to be in the range of 38GW to 42GW. 

It doesn’t take very long to scan a number of leading market researchers forecasts for the year to get a consensus that 2014 will be another record year of installs with the total not less than 45GW and possibly as high as 52GW. 

According to IHS, global PV inverter industry growth has now exceeded SMA Solar’s performance in four out of the last five quarters, highlighting a continued marked fall in its market share and accounted for approximately 12% of industry revenues in Q3 2014.

Global industry revenues were said to have reached US$1.9 billion in Q3, an increase of nearly 10% year-on-year.  

Therefore it would seem that SMA Solar has a mountain to climb to meet its market share figure by both revenue and gigawatts installed, while its market share shenanigans continue. 

Read Next

September 11, 2025
Founder Group has won a RM10 million (US$2.3 million) engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contract for a 30MW solar plant in Malaysia.
September 11, 2025
German renewable energy developer ib vogt has signed a 70MW solar PV virtual power purchase agreement (vPPA) in Romania.
September 11, 2025
Madison Energy Infrastructure has raised US$800 million to accelerate the deployment of clean energy assets across the US. 
September 11, 2025
The PEARL Consortium has developed perovskite solar cells with carbon electrodes with a conversion efficiency of 21.6%.
September 11, 2025
The EBRD has launched a new programme to improve access to green financing and support energy investments such as renewable power projects.
September 11, 2025
Constant Energy has secured THB300 million (US$9.4 million) in green financing from HSBC to expand large-scale solar and battery storage projects in Thailand. 

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines