• The shale gas boom in the United States will play a key role in the development of the nation’s smart electricity grid, affecting almost every part of utility infrastructure decision making in the coming decade—and driving a resurgence in market for related equipment starting in 2015.

A new survey conducted by IMS Research (now part of IHS Inc. (NYSE:IHS)) of more than 400 photovoltaic (PV) inverter purchasers has revealed that the most preferred PV inverter brand globally in 2012 was SMA Solar Technology. IMS Research’s recently released report PV Inverter Customer Survey – World - 2013 analyses the results of the survey and reveals the reasons behind PV inverter customers’ choice of supplier and product.

By the end of 2016, the global installed base of advanced (communicating) electricity meters is expected to double, according to a new market study from  IMS Research, part of IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS), titled The World Market for Smart Electricity Meters – 2012 Edition. This is forecast to propel the installed base of communicating meters to almost 35 percent penetration globally.

The overall utility billing meter market is expected to reach nearly $13 billion in 2016, according to a study recently published by IMS Research, now part of IHS (NYSE: IHS). 2016 is also anticipated to be the first time that revenues for advanced utility meters match those of their basic, non-communicating counterparts.

Revenues for the global gas meter market are to surpass $2 billion annually in 2013, according to a new market study from  IMS Research, part of IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS). New advanced metering initiatives and construction in developing countries are forecast to grow market revenues to over $2.7 billion by 2016.

Emerging markets are forecast to help bring stability to the ailing solar industry, with up to 12 gigawatts (GW) of new photovoltaic (PV) capacity added in 2017 up from just 1.6 GW in 2012, according to a new IHS solar report. The recently released study, which evaluated the potential for PV additions in 40 countries around the world, found that up to 30 GW of cumulative PV capacity will be added in emerging markets over the next four years, helping to stabilize the industry amidst a raft of incentive cuts in core European markets.

IMS Research (recently acquired by IHS Inc. (NYSE:IHS)) forecasts that revenues from the North American utility gas meter and associated communication module market will exceed $500 million per annum starting in the year 2014. This revenue growth will be driven by the continued automation of gas endpoints via new two-way meters and retrofit communications modules, as well as an added boost from the large Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) fixed network installation. These findings have been presented in IMS Research’s recently published report, The World Market for Gas Meters – 2012.

El Segundo, Calif. (Oct. 30, 2012)—Overcapacity, a decline in pricing as well as slowing growth in key worldwide markets will serve to keep the global photovoltaic (PV) market for solar modules depressed for the rest of the year, with recovery not expected until well in the second half of 2013, according to a new IHS iSuppli PV Integrated market tracker report from information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS).

Global revenue for the solar module industry comprising both crystalline and thin-film modules fell for the first time this year during the third quarter to $6.63 billion, down 7 percent from $7.14 billion in the second quarter. Prior to the decline, revenue had been up 2 percent in the second quarter from $7.03 billion in the first quarter.

The market is projected to retreat further for a second time this year during the fourth quarter to $6.62 billion, with revenue continuing to trend down throughout the first half of 2013, as shown in the figure below. The industry will return to growth only by the second quarter next year, finally regaining lost ground by the fourth quarter when revenue springs back to an estimated $7.06 billion—just slightly more than when the market started in the first quarter this year. 

IMS Research (recently acquired by IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS)) forecasts 2013 to be another challenging year for photovoltaic (PV) inverter manufacturers, with flat revenue growth globally and a major shift away from traditional markets leading to a reshaping of the supplier base according to the company’s latest report from. The top ten inverter manufacturers are likely to suffer because of falling inverter prices and because new markets such as Japan, China, India and the U.S. will prove difficult to penetrate and may not compensate for decreases in their core markets, Germany and Italy. Recent announcements of profit warnings, and Chapter 11 filings by leading suppliers SMA and Satcon highlight the challenging conditions being experienced by all PV inverter manufacturers at present and this may not improve until 2014.

The concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) market is forecast to double in 2012 and reach almost 90 MW or $325 million, according to a new report from IMS Research (recently acquired by IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS)). Furthermore, IMS Research predicts installations of this emerging technology will grow rapidly over the next five years to reach almost 1.2 GW by 2016.