GTM Research published nearly 30 in-depth research reports in the first half of this year, ranging in length from 21 to 426 pages of content and analysis. Here are the top five most-read reports between January and June.
1. U.S. Residential Solar PV Financing: The Vendor, Installer, and Financier Landscape, 2013-2016
The residential solar financing landscape has been the subject of more attention than any other part of the U.S. solar industry over the past three years. With the successful IPO of SolarCity and an increasing number of residential PPA/lease providers, the market was due for an overarching analysis. Our short but dense report places residential solar financing in the context of the overall market and distinguishes among the key lease providers, installers and investors. Download the report summary to find out why so many companies are reading it.
2. The Global PV Inverter Landscape 2013: Technologies, Markets, and Survivors
As incentive markets fade and competition increases in new regions, developers and installers have placed far more pressure on PV inverter manufacturers. While the inverter industry will see annual megawatts shipped increase by 10 percent in 2013, actual market value will decrease by 10 percent over 2012. Simultaneously, inverters, which act as the brains of PV systems, are being called on to increase system performance, communication functionality and grid interactivity as solar expands its footprint globally. The Global PV Inverter Landscape walks through the value proposition of new architectures, including microinverters and DC optimizers, and through the requirements for new functionality, while detailing the companies best positioned to weather the rapidly changing PV market. This 225-page report is a favorite among PV inverter manufacturers.
3. Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Solar Market Outlook, 2013-2017
Solar power is gaining ground in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region, driven by rapidly increasing energy usage, a desire for resource diversification, and its strong solar insolation. Our report provides country-level analysis and a long-term outlook for each solar market, as the world’s most carbon-intensive region transitions to higher penetrations of renewable energy. This discussion of demand dynamics is couched in competitive intelligence on the major players and stakeholders, as well as detailed information on the overall market structure for each MENA country. Whether you are already investing in this region or it’s on your horizon, these 103 pages are a must-read for those interested in the global solar market.
4. Transformer Monitoring Markets, 2013-2020: Technologies, Forecasts, and Leading Vendors
GTM Research forecasts the annual market for transformer monitoring hardware in the U.S. to grow drastically from $113 million in 2012 to more than $755 million in 2020. Utilities across the U.S. are beginning to turn to transformer technologies to improve distribution reliability and efficiency, as well as customer service and operating costs. In addition, more intelligent transformers will play a key role in enabling other smart grid applications such as power quality monitoring, closed-loop volt/VAR control, improved outage detection, and theft reduction. The report is this year’s fourth most read, as it’s the first of its kind to analyze both the technology and competitive landscape of transformer markets in the U.S. (For more information on the report, see our related webinar Q&As, Part 1 and Part 2.)
5. Solar in Latin America & The Caribbean 2013: Markets, Outlook, and Competitive Positioning
Over the past year, there has been increasing interest in Latin America and the Caribbean, with more than 8.4 gigawatts of large-scale project announcements made for the region, which is slated to more than quadruple its grid-connected PV in 2013 over last year’s nearly 100 megawatts. Much of this will come from utility-scale installations in Mexico and Chile. Significant barriers to development do remain, including complex electricity market structures, hesitancy on the part of large offtakers, and difficulty securing financing. Clients of GTM Research are purchasing this report to better understand country-specific market dynamics and local players. Download the report summary, as well as the recently released PV in Central America, to discover opportunities in these emerging solar markets.