Photovoltaic Market

The solar photovoltaic (PV) industry offers the promise of providing cost effective renewal energy to the world. Many PV module and system manufacturers are aggressively increasing volumes and reducing system costs to fulfill this promise.

The PV modules seen on rooftops are the most expensive and visible part of a PV system. PV modules have shown continuous cost reductions of 20% for every doubling of cumulative manufacturing volumes. This cost reduction trend will further accelerate with the growing market acceptance of lower cost thin film based PV modules.

PV systems also require Balance of System (BOS) components. The most significant BOS component cost is the combined inverter and power conditioning system (PCS). Other BOS components include wiring, meters, and any necessary disconnect switches. The inverters in PV systems have historically seen much less cost reduction, typically <10% per doubling of cumulative manufacturing volumes. NREL Review of PV Inverter Technology 750KB pdf

If the current cost trends for PV modules and inverters continue, the inverter costs may become comparable to PV module cost in less than a decade. Additionally it is likely that the inverter may need to be replaced several times during the lifetime of the PV modules making cost of inverters and reliability a critical cost issue in future PV systems.

DOE has recognized that PV systems require a breakthrough in inverter technology in order to realize improvements in reliability and cost in addition to new system features to enabling advanced energy management.DOE PV Inverter Needs 2535KB

The Total Energy Company PV inverter system is uniquely positioned to deliver these needed capabilities.