Global PV inverter shipments expected to increase by 2% in 2018

According to GTM Research, global solar PV inverter shipments are expected to grow by only 2% this year to more than 100 GWac
.

US-based GTM Research announced that solar PV inverter shipments reached a record 98.
5 GWac in 2017, up 23% from 2016, driven by strong growth
in China.
Among them, Huawei surpassed SMA for the first time to win the world
.

Scott Moskowitz, senior analyst at Solar Research, said, "In 2017, GTM's forecast for the inverter market was completely replaced
by substantial growth in the Chinese market.
While the U.
S.
and Japan are indeed declining, the Chinese market has exploded with more than 50 GWdc of solar
installation.
This resulted in more than 100 GWdc installed worldwide and inverter shipments reaching 98.
5 GWac
.
”

This year, GTM Research forecasts global PV inverter growth of just 2% to 100.
5 GWac
.
This is similar to IHS Markit, with 104 GWac
expected to be shipped.

In terms of suppliers, GTM Research further reported that as in 2016, the top five suppliers, Huawei, Sungrow, SMA and ABB, still dominate the global market
.
But in terms of revenue, the top five manufacturers include Huawei, SMA, Sunshine, SolarEdge and ABB
.
Among them, SMA was squeezed out of the first place for the first time and replaced
by Huawei.
Although in 2015, Huawei already ranked second
in the world.
At the same time, SolarEdge also surpassed Sungrow for the first time to squeeze into the top five of the revenue list
.

Commenting on the trends in the inverter market in 2018, Moskowitz said: "The main trends in the solar inverter market over the past five years are now continuing
.
Top suppliers continue to gain share
.
String inverters continue to play a leading role in the utility solar market, and 1500-volt inverters continue to become more popular
.
We expect these trends to continue into the coming years
.
”