Photovoltaic Solar Energy

Global PV inverter shipments grew 42% in 2015 to 59.7 GW, up from 42.1 GW in 2014. Shipment growth will be flat in 2016, as the Chinese and Japanese markets level off and the U.S. market works through a build-up of shipments from 2015, but the market will regain steam and grow 11% per year from 2016 to 2020. Overall, shifting global demand, rapidly evolving product preferences and competitive pricing will be key themes moving forward for the dynamic PV inverter industry.

The thin films market has thus evolved over the past few years alongside developments in the electronics and semiconductor industries. Photovoltaics (PV) is the major technology that has historically made the most use of thin films, and today dominates the market, accounting for more than 85% of the market share. The thin film batteries market, though smaller in size, is expected to witness robust growth during the forecast period. Our goal is to examine traditional and alternative energy technologies to determine the use, if any, of thin films in their fabrication and operation. Thin films are often applied to reduce the cost of product fabrication, improve performance and provide more flexibility in product design. In addition, they are environmentally benign. The geographical regions covered under the scope of the report include North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world (RoW). The study covers major countries such as the U.S., Mexico, Canada, France, Italy, U.K., China, India, Australia, Singapore, South America, the Middle East, Africa, Japan and Germany, among others. The present market size and market forecast through 2021 are provided in the report.