根据IMS调查报告最近的报告：太阳能微型逆变器和直流电源模块是新的市场利润点，并预测这两个产业会在将来五年产生15亿美元的收入。设备将会达到每年100%的出货量，并且在同一时期产生1600万。
即使如此，微型逆变器预计在2014年全球光伏安装使用量将不会超过10%。
两个行业可能会遇到一些问题：IMS调查预测该行业会遇到阴影遮光和方向定位的问题，。但是还是有优点的，例如加强型的监听器和传感器，安装简易，高节能领域，能够移除中心逆变器的单项故障，增强整体的使用可靠性。
去年将近有15家企业应用商涉足该市场，Enphase Energy大约发货100,000个微型逆变器。
Solar microinverters and DC-DC power optimizers are forecast to generate more than $1.5 billion in revenues over the next five years, according to IMS Research's recently released report on the rapidly emerging market. Shipments of the devices are forecast to grow over 100% per year and will total more than 16 million in the same period.
Even so, microinverters are forecast to be utilized in less than 10% of the global PV installations in 2014.
Both microinverters and power optimizers are possible solutions for PV installations that suffer from shading or orientation problems, which is where IMS Research predicts they will see the greatest uptake. However, other possible advantages include the enhanced monitoring and communications, simpler installation, higher energy yields and increased reliability by removing the single failure point of a central inverter.
IMS Research predicts the devices will be most successful in residential and small commercial installations, which will account for more than 80% of shipments. only power optimizers will be taken up in quantity in larger installations, because they do not eliminate the large centralized inverter that is essential for large-scale projects.
"With any industry growing as rapidly as photovoltaics, there are huge opportunities available; we predict very rapid growth in the market for microinverters and power optimizers," says Ash Sharma, photovoltaics research director at IMS Research. "Although we don't see them being used in every installation type, the PV market still offers substantial opportunity for growth for suppliers of the products.
"Although last year there was only one supplier shipping any significant volume - Enphase Energy - that is all about to change; soon more than a dozen suppliers will be serving the growing market, and even market leader SMA now has a microinverter platform following its acquisition of OKE," Sharma adds.
IMS Research has identified approximately 15 suppliers set to enter the market, in addition to Enphase Energy, which shipped more than 100,000 microinverters last year. If market share rankings were based on units shipped, Enphase would have been ranked the second-largest supplier to the global PV inverter market, according to Sharma.
