Supercapacitors are devices utilized to store and release energy that are gaining increasing interest not only in their traditional field of application (electronics) but also in other sectors such as power generation and transportation.  
 
The main goal of this report is to provide new insights into supercapacitor technology by outlining technological trends and supplying a market analysis for these products.
 
Specifically, the major objectives of this study are to:

•Provide a detailed review of supercapacitors, including a description of their types and fabrication technologies.
•Highlight new technological developments in supercapacitor manufacturing, while outlining technical issues.
•Review current fields of application for supercapacitors and investigate emerging applications.
•Estimate current global markets for supercapacitors by type, application, and region, with growth forecasts through 2015 for each market segment.
•Identify important technology and market trends within each market segment.
•Supply an updated review of current producers of supercapacitors.
•Provide a description of current worldwide research activities and evaluate their impact on industry growth.
•Determine trends in recently issued U.S. patents.

REASONS FOR DOING THIS STUDY
 
Supercapacitors (also known as electrical double-layer capacitors or EDLCs) are devices with design and electrical characteristics between those of capacitors and batteries.
 
The origins of supercapacitors can be traced back to the year 1745, when the first electrostatic capacitor was created. The first electrical double layer capacitor, however, was fabricated more than 200 years later, in 1957, by scientists at General Electric. The first commercial product was introduced by Nippon Electric Company of Japan in 1978.
During the following 2 decades several other manufacturers developed supercapacitors and entered the EDLC market. In the late 1990s, the number of research activities resulting in patent applications and issued patents began to increase rapidly. By the end of the first decade of the new millennium the number of new patents had risen by a factor of 3, leading to the development of products with improved electrical properties and lower unit costs.
 
The market for EDLCs is currently valued at approximately a half-billion dollars and continues to grow at a very healthy pace.
 
The principal reason for doing this study is to present a current assessment of the supercapacitor industry from both a technological and a market point of view and to outline future trends and key developments.
 
There is also a need to evaluate the current status and future trends of the EDLC industry from a global standpoint. As use of this technology expands, information on regional production, sales, and type of suppliers becomes more valuable.
 
An equally important reason for performing this study is to provide technical insights into supercapacitor manufacturing by:

•Supplying a review of EDLC types, their applications, and production methods.
•Identifying current technical issues.
•Providing an overview of global R&D activities related to supercapacitors, both within public and private organizations.
•Illustrating the latest technological developments.
This information can assist companies in finding opportunities for process and productivity improvements, resulting in a positive impact on future market growth.
 
INTENDED AUDIENCE

This study will be of primary interest to all companies that:

•Manufacture, sell, and distribute supercapacitors and other energy devices (e.g., batteries and fuel cells).
•Supply raw materials for EDLC production.
•Manufacture devices and systems that utilize supercapacitors (such as mobile phones, photovoltaic cells, wind turbines, and automobile electrical components).
•Provide technical and/or marketing services in conjunction with the above- mentioned devices.
•Are planning to enter the supercapacitor industry as a supplier, manufacturer, or end-user.
Overall, this study applies to industry sectors such as electronics, energy, sensors and instrumentation, medical, and transportation.
 
This study is mainly directed toward executives, directors, operations managers, sales and marketing managers, and strategic planners working within the above industries. Universities and research facilities may find this study to be a good source of technical information regarding supercapacitor technology, materials, equipment, and applications, which can be used as a baseline for new or expanded R&D activities. Librarians of technical information and research centers can also use this report to provide critical data to product managers, market analysts, researchers, and other professionals needing detailed and updated insights into the supercapacitor industry.  
 
SCOPE OF REPORT

This study provides an updated review of supercapacitor technology, including materials and production processes, and identifies current and emerging applications for this technology. It has been determined that the current market status of supercapacitors, defines trends, and presents forecasts of growth over the next 5 years. Technological issues, including the latest process developments, are also discussed.
 
This report analyzes the supercapacitor industry on a worldwide basis from the standpoint of both manufacturing and consumption. In addition, the study examines commercial and public research activities in major regions of the world. Research objectives and areas of interest related to materials, production methods, and applications of supercapacitors are also outlined.
  
More specifically, this market analysis is divided into five parts.

In the first part, a historical review of supercapacitors is provided, including an outline of recent events. In addition, the report supplies a detailed description of EDLC types and their fabrication processes. In this section, current and emerging applications for these products are also identified and divided by sector (i.e., electronics, energy, transportation, medical, and sensors and instrumentation).
 
The second part of the report entails a global market analysis of EDLCs. Current technical issues are described, followed by a review of related, recent technological developments and patent abstracts. Global revenues (sales data in millions of dollars) are presented by supercapacitor type, application, and region, with actual data for the years 2008 and 2009 and estimated data for the year 2010.
 
This section concludes with a presentation of market growth trends based on industry growth, technological trends, and regional trends. Projected revenues are reported, with forecast compound annual growth rates (CAGR) for the period 2010 through 2015.
 
In the third part, covering global industry structure, the report provides a complete list of suppliers of supercapacitors and a description of their products. The analysis includes a description of the geographical distribution of these firms and an evaluation of production versus consumption, always from a geographical standpoint. Detailed company profiles of the top industry players are also provided.
 
In the fourth part of this study, an analysis of industry competitiveness is performed. This analysis encompasses a review of global research and development activities, with profiles of the most important R&D players by region, and an outline of the most critical factors contributing to industry competitiveness.
 
The fifth and final section includes an extensive U.S. patent analysis, with a summary of patents related to supercapacitor types, fabrication methods, and applications issued during the period 2007 through 2010. Patent analysis is performed by region, country, assignee, patent category, application, and EDLC type.

Highlights of the Report:

•The global market for supercapacitors is estimated at $470 million in 2010. Demand for supercapacitors is projected to continue growing at a very healthy rate during the next 5 years, reaching a value of $1.2 billion in 2015, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.6%

•The energy sector is projected to represent the second-largest segment in 2010, with total revenues of $82 million, equal to 17.5% of the total.  This sector is projected to increase at a 13.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to reach $611 million in 2015.

•The third most relevant sector is transportation, with a 13.5% share. This sector is projected to increase at a 34.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to reach $282 million in 2015.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 
STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
REASONS FOR DOING THIS STUDY
INTENDED AUDIENCE 
SCOPE OF REPORT 
METHODOLOGY AND INFORMATION SOURCES
ANALYST CREDENTIALS 
DISCLAIMER

CHAPTER TWO: SUMMARY
SUMMARY  8
SUMMARY TABLE GLOBAL MARKET FOR SUPERCAPACITORS,
THROUGH 2015 ($ MILLIONS) . 9
SUMMARY FIGURE GLOBAL MARKET FOR SUPERCAPACITORS,
2008-2015 ($ MILLIONS)  9

CHAPTER THREE: OVERVIEW 
ENERGY STORAGE DEVICES . 10
TABLE 1 ENERGY STORAGE DEVICES . 10
CAPACITORS, BATTERIES, AND SUPERCAPACITORS  10
CAPACITORS. 10
BATTERIES . 11
SUPERCAPACITORS  11
COMPARISON OF ENERGY STORAGE CAPABILITY . 12
Ragone Plot  12
TABLE 2 CAPACITORS, SUPERCAPACITORS, BATTERIES: TYPICAL
PROPERTIES, 2010  13
HISTORY OF SUPERCAPACITORS  13
HISTORY OF SUPERCAPACITORS (CONTINUED) . 14
TABLE 3 SUPERCAPACITORS − TECHNOLOGICAL MILESTONES  15
TABLE 3 (CONTINUED)  16
FIGURE 1 SUPERCAPACITORS − WORLDWIDE PATENT
APPLICATIONS AND PATENTS ISSUED, 1990−2009  17
SUPERCAPACITORS: MATERIALS, TYPES AND FABRICATION
PROCESSES  18
Electrodes . 18
Carbon Electrodes . 18
Polymer Electrodes . 19
Metal Oxide Electrodes . 19
Symmetric and Asymmetric EDLCs  20
Supercapacitor/Battery Hybrid Devices  20
Separators  21
Electrolytes  21
Organic Electrolytes . 21
Aqueous Electrolytes  21
Capacitor Design Optimization . 22
FABRICATION PROCESS  22
Monopolar Cells . 22
Bipolar Cells  23
CURRENT AND EMERGING APPLICATIONS FOR
SUPERCAPACITORS . 24
TABLE 4 CURRENT AND EMERGING APPLICATIONS OF
SUPERCAPACITORS BY INDUSTRY . 24
TABLE 4 (CONTINUED)  25
ELECTRONICS  25
TRANSPORTATION  26
ENERGY . 26
SENSORS AND INSTRUMENTATION . 27
MEDICAL . 27

CHAPTER FOUR: GLOBAL MARKET 
ANALYSIS OUTLINE  28
GLOBAL MARKET SUMMARY  29
TABLE 5 GLOBAL MARKET FOR SUPERCAPACITORS, THROUGH
2015 ($ MILLIONS) . 30
FIGURE 2 GLOBAL MARKET FOR SUPERCAPACITORS, 2008-2015 ($
MILLIONS)  30
THE MARKET FOR SUPERCAPACITORS  31
INTRODUCTION . 31
CURRENT TECHNICAL ISSUES  31
Advantages of EDLCs  31
Disadvantages of EDLCs . 32
Cost . 32
TABLE 6 UNIT PRICE FOR SUPERCAPACITORS, 1985-2010 ($
MILLIONS)  33
Electrical Properties  33
Shapes and Sizes . 33
High-Surface-Area Electrode Materials . 33
LATEST TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS, 2008 TO
PRESENT  33
UltraBattery  34
Paper-Thin Electrodes for Supercapacitors  34
Nano Supercapacitor . 34
Flexible and Transparent Supercapacitor  35
Electrolyte for High-Voltage Supercapacitor . 35
Hierarchical Nanowire Composites for EDLC Electrodes . 36
Metal Oxide/Graphene Nanocomposite for EDLC
Electrodes . 37
Micro-Supercapacitors for Portable Electronics . 38
Paper Supercapacitors . 38
Miniature Asymmetric Electrochemical Supercapacitor . 39
Micro-Supercapacitors from Onion-like Carbon Particles . 39
Supercapacitor with Aerogel Electrodes . 40
Paper-Thin Supercapacitors  40
CURRENT MARKET STATUS . 41
Current Market Summary  41
Revenues by Supercapacitor Type  41
TABLE 7 SUPERCAPACITORS: GLOBAL REVENUES BY TYPE, 2010
($ MILLIONS/%) . 42
FIGURE 3 SUPERCAPACITORS: MARKET SHARE BY TYPE, 2010 (%) . 43
Revenues by Application . 43
TABLE 8 SUPERCAPACITORS: GLOBAL REVENUES BY
APPLICATION, 2010 ($ MILLIONS) . 44
FIGURE 4 SUPERCAPACITORS: MARKET SHARE BY APPLICATION,
2010 (%)  44
Revenues by Region . 45
TABLE 9 SUPERCAPACITORS: REVENUES BY REGION, THROUGH
2010 ($ MILLIONS)  46
FIGURE 5 SUPERCAPACITORS: MARKET SHARE BY REGION, 2010
(%) . 46
MARKET GROWTH TRENDS . 47
INDUSTRY GROWTH . 47
Electronics  47
General Semiconductor Industry . 47
TABLE 10 FORECAST − SEMICONDUCTORS: REVENUES BY
REGION, THROUGH 2015 ($ BILLIONS) . 48
Mobile Phones . 48
TABLE 11 FORECAST – MOBILE PHONES, SMART PHONES AND
PDAS: GLOBAL REVENUES, THROUGH 2015 ($ BILLIONS) . 48
Portable Computers and E-Book Readers . 49
TABLE 12 FORECAST – PORTABLE COMPUTERS AND E-BOOK
READERS: GLOBAL REVENUES, THROUGH 2015 ($ BILLIONS)  49
Digital Cameras  49
Appliances and Home Improvement  49
Safety and Security . 50
TABLE 13 FORECAST – SAFETY AND SECURITY: GLOBAL
REVENUES, THROUGH 2015 ($ BILLIONS)  50
Transportation . 50
General Automotive Industry  50
Electric and Hybrid Vehicles  51
TABLE 14 FORECAST – ELECTRIC AND HYBRID VEHICLES:
GLOBAL REVENUES, THROUGH 2015 ($ BILLIONS) . 51
Energy  51
Wind Turbines  52
Photovoltaic Modules  52
TABLE 15 FORECAST - PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES: GLOBAL
PRODUCTION BY TYPE, THROUGH 2015 (MW) . 52
Fuel Cells  52
TABLE 16 FORECAST – FUEL CELLS: GLOBAL REVENUES,
THROUGH 2015 ($ MILLIONS)  53
Uninterruptible Power Supplies  53
Electrical Grids . 53
Sensors and Instrumentation . 54
TABLE 17 FORECAST – PORTABLE INSTRUMENTS AND WIRELESS
SENSOR NETWORKS: GLOBAL REVENUES, THROUGH 2015 ($
BILLIONS) . 54
Medical . 55
TABLE 18 FORECAST: DEFIBRILLATORS AND CARDIAC
PACEMAKERS: GLOBAL REVENUES, THROUGH 2015 ($
BILLIONS) . 55
TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS . 55
Trends in the Energy and Environmental Sectors  55
Trends in the Electronics Sector . 56
Trends in Power Electronics . 56
Other Trends  56
REGIONAL TRENDS  57
PROJECTED SUPERCAPACITOR MARKET  58
KEY OBSERVATIONS  58
TABLE 19 FACTORS AFFECTING SALES OF SUPERCAPACITORS,
TO 2015  58
MARKET FORECAST . 59
Revenues by Application . 59
TABLE 20 FORECAST – SUPERCAPACITORS: GLOBAL REVENUES
BY APPLICATION, THROUGH 2015 ($ MILLIONS) . 60
FIGURE 6 FORECAST – SUPERCAPACITORS: MARKET SHARE BY
APPLICATION, 2015 (%) . 61
Revenues by Supercapacitor Type . 61
TABLE 21 FORECAST – SUPERCAPACITORS: GLOBAL REVENUES
BY TYPE, THROUGH 2015 ($ MILLIONS)  62
FIGURE 7 FORECAST – SUPERCAPACITORS: MARKET SHARE BY
TYPE, 2015 (%) . 63
Revenues by Region  63
TABLE 22 FORECAST– SUPERCAPACITORS: REVENUES BY
REGION, THROUGH 2015 ($ MILLIONS) . 64
FIGURE 8 FORECAST − SUPERCAPACITORS: MARKET SHARE BY
REGION, 2015 (%)  65

CHAPTER FIVE: GLOBAL INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
GLOBAL INDUSTRY STRUCTURE . 66
MANUFACTURERS OF SUPERCAPACITORS . 67
TABLE 23 MANUFACTURERS OF SUPERCAPACITORS . 67
TABLE 23 (CONTINUED)  68
TABLE 23 (CONTINUED)  69
MANUFACTURERS OF … (CONTINUED) . 70
FIGURE 9 SUPPLIERS OF SUPERCAPACITORS: DISTRIBUTION BY
SIZE (NUMBER OF COMPANIES) . 71
FIGURE 10 HISTORICAL GROWTH OF SUPERCAPACITOR
MANUFACTURERS (NUMBER OF COMPANIES) . 72
OTHER PLAYERS IN THE SUPERCAPACITOR INDUSTRY . 72
TABLE 24 OTHER RELEVANT PLAYERS IN THE SUPERCAPACITOR
INDUSTRY  73
TABLE 24 (CONTINUED)  74
SUPERCAPACITOR PRODUCTION BY REGION  74
TABLE 25 SUPERCAPACITORS: MANUFACTURING BY REGION,
2008−2015 (PERCENT OF SALES). 75
SUPERCAPACITOR CONSUMPTION BY REGION . 76
TABLE 26 SUPERCAPACITORS: CONSUMPTION BY REGION,
2008−2015 (PERCENT OF SALES). 76
COMPANY PROFILES  77
AVX . 77
CAP-XX . 78
ELNA  79
ESMA  80
SANDVIK MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY . 81
LS MTRON . 81
MAXWELL . 82
Maxwell (Continued) . 83
NESSCAP . 84
NEC TOKIN . 84
Nec Tokin (Continued)  85
NICHICON . 86
NIPPON CHEMI-CON  87
PANASONIC  88
SAMWHA CAPACITOR GROUP  89
SEIKO . 90
SHIZUKI ELECTRIC . 91

CHAPTER SIX: INDUSTRY COMPETITIVENESS
SUPERCAPACITOR DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES  92
TABLE 27 ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN SUPERCAPACITOR
RESEARCH, WORLDWIDE  92
TABLE 27 (CONTINUED)  93
TABLE 27 (CONTINUED)  94
TABLE 27 (CONTINUED)  95
TABLE 27 (CONTINUED)  96
UNITED STATES  96
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory . 96
TABLE 28 LBNL RESEARCH  97
Massachusetts Institute of Technology  97
TABLE 29 MIT RESEARCH . 98
National Renewable Energy Laboratory  98
TABLE 30 NREL RESEARCH  99
Oak Ridge National Laboratory  99
TABLE 31 ORNL RESEARCH  100
Sandia National Laboratories . 100
TABLE 32 SNL RESEARCH . 101
University of California at Los Angeles 101
TABLE 33 UCLA RESEARCH  102
Stanford University . 102
TABLE 34 STANFORD UNIVERSITY RESEARCH . 103
EUROPE . 103
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique . 103
TABLE 35 CNRS/CIRIMAT RESEARCH . 104
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Institutes  104
TABLE 36 FRAUNHOFER INSTITUTES RESEARCH . 105
Imperial College . 106
TABLE 37 IMPERIAL COLLEGE RESEARCH . 106
ASIA-PACIFIC . 106
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology . 106
TABLE 38 KAIST RESEARCH . 107
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and
Technology, Japan  107
TABLE 39 AIST RESEARCH  108
REST OF THE WORLD . 108
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organization . 108
TABLE 40 CSIRO RESEARCH . 109
SUMMARY OF GLOBAL R&D ACTIVITIES IN
SUPERCAPACITOR TECHNOLOGY . 110
FIGURE 11 CURRENT GLOBAL SUPERCAPACITOR RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT BY TYPE (%) . 111
FIGURE 12 CURRENT GLOBAL SUPERCAPACITOR RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT, BY SUBJECT (%)  112
FIGURE 12 (CONTINUED) . 113
Industry Initiatives . 113
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS . 113
COST FACTOR  113
QUALITY FACTOR . 114
TECHNOLOGY FACTOR  114
MANUFACTURING CAPABILITY  114
KEY GROWTH MARKETS . 115
TABLE 41 GLOBAL GROWTH FORECAST FOR CURRENT AND
POTENTIAL SUPERCAPACITOR APPLICATIONS, 2010-2015. 115
TABLE 41 (CONTINUED)  116
Electronics  116
Transportation . 116
Energy  116
Sensors and Instrumentation . 117
Medical/Biological/Pharmaceutical . 117
DRIVING FORCES AND THEIR IMPACT ON MARKET
GROWTH  117
TABLE 42 PERCENTAGE IMPACT OF MAJOR COMPETITIVE
FACTORS ON THE GROWTH OF THE SUPERCAPACITOR
MARKET, 2010−2015  118

CHAPTER SEVEN: U.S. PATENT ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION . 119
SUMMARY OF PATENTS AWARDED DURING THE PERIOD 2007
THROUGH 2010  119
TABLE 43 SUPERCAPACITORS – U.S. PATENTS, 2010  120
TABLE 43 (CONTINUED)  121
TABLE 43 (CONTINUED)  122
TABLE 43 (CONTINUED)  123
TABLE 43 (CONTINUED)  124
TABLE 43 (CONTINUED)  125
TABLE 43 (CONTINUED)  126
TABLE 44 SUPERCAPACITORS – U.S. PATENTS, 2009  126
TABLE 44 (CONTINUED)  127
TABLE 44 (CONTINUED)  128
TABLE 44 (CONTINUED)  129
TABLE 44 (CONTINUED)  130
TABLE 44 (CONTINUED)  131
TABLE 45 SUPERCAPACITORS – U.S. PATENTS, 2008  132
TABLE 45 (CONTINUED)  133
TABLE 45 (CONTINUED)  134
TABLE 45 (CONTINUED)  135
TABLE 45 (CONTINUED)  136
TABLE 45 (CONTINUED)  137
TABLE 46 SUPERCAPACITORS – U.S. PATENTS, 2007  137
TABLE 46 (CONTINUED)  138
TABLE 46 (CONTINUED)  139
TABLE 46 (CONTINUED)  140
TABLE 46 (CONTINUED)  141
TABLE 46 (CONTINUED)  142
TABLE 46 (CONTINUED)  143
TABLE 46 (CONTINUED)  144
GENERAL TRENDS. 144
TABLE 47 SUPERCAPACITORS: U.S. PATENT TRENDS, 2007-2010  145
FIGURE 13 SUPERCAPACITORS: U.S. PATENT TRENDS, 2007-2010
(NUMBER OF PATENTS)  146
TRENDS BY COUNTRY AND REGION . 146
FIGURE 14 SHARES OF U.S. PATENTS RELATED TO
SUPERCAPACITORS BY REGION, 2007-2010 (%)  147
FIGURE 15 SUPERCAPACITORS: PATENTS BY COUNTRY, 2007-2010
(%) . 148
TRENDS BY ASSIGNEE . 149
TABLE 48 ASSIGNEES OF U.S. PATENTS RELATED TO
SUPERCAPACITORS, 2007−2010  150
TABLE 48 (CONTINUED)  151
TABLE 48 (CONTINUED)  152
FIGURE 16 SUPERCAPACITORS: SHARES OF U.S. PATENTS BY
ORGANIZATION TYPE, 2007−2010 (%)  153
TRENDS BY PATENT CATEGORY  153
TRENDS BY PATENT CATEGORY (CONTINUED)  154
FIGURE 17 SUPERCAPACITORS: SHARES OF U.S. PATENTS BY
CATEGORY, 2007-2010 (%)  155
TRENDS BY APPLICATION . 155
FIGURE 18 SUPERCAPACITORS: SHARES OF U.S. PATENTS BY
APPLICATION, 2007−2010 (%)  156
FIGURE 18 (CONTINUED) . 157
TRENDS BY SUPERCAPACITOR TYPE . 157
FIGURE 19 SUPERCAPACITORS: SHARES OF U.S. PATENTS BY
TYPE, 2007−2010 (%)  158