Top 5 Non-Chinese Solar Inverter Manufacturers

A Solar inverter is one of the crucial components of solar panel systems, which converts the direct current (DC) generated by solar panels into alternating current (AC), which is suitable for powering household appliances, businesses, and the electrical grid. Needless to say, the solar inverter market growth is analogous to the growth of solar power use across the globe, which is expected to surge multifold. While the market is dominated by Chinese players, some non-Chinese inverter manufacturers have also emerged as serious contenders, although most find themselves limited to key markets where they can compete despite higher prices usually.

With a predicted growth rate of 7.75 per cent from 2024 to 2031, the global solar inverter market, which was valued at USD 26.09 billion in 2023, is expected to reach USD 47.12 billion by that time. Products from businesses including FIMER, SMA Solar Technology AG, Enphase Energy, SolarEdge, Fronius International GmbH, Delta Electronics, Inc., KACO New Energy GmbH, Schneider Electric, OMRON Corporation, Eaton, etc. are included in the market share

Here is a list of the top 5 non-Chinese solar inverter manufacturers, contributing to a diverse market away from products made in China.

#1 SMA Solar Technology (Germany)

Established in 1981 and headquartered in Niestetal, Germany, SMA Solar Technology has been a global leader in the production of high-quality solar inverters and is the leading non-Chinese solar inverter company. Known for their efficiency, reliability, and advanced features, SMA’s inverters are widely used in residential, commercial, and industrial installations. Its key market remains Europe. As one of the oldest players in the market you are very likely to find SMA inverters in solar plants that are over a decade old.

The company has been at the forefront of developing grid-friendly and storage-compatible inverters, playing a significant role in several large-scale projects worldwide. One notable project includes supplying inverters for one of the largest solar farms in Australia. SMA’s Sunny Tripower CORE2 inverter stands out for its flexibility and efficiency, making it ideal for various applications. During the reporting period of 2023, the SMA Group sold solar inverters with a cumulative capacity of 20,454 MW, representing an increase of more than 65 percent compared to the 12,225 MW sold in 2022.

#2 Fronius International (Austria)

Founded in 1945 and headquartered in Pettenbach, Austria, Fronius International has earned a reputation for its robust and efficient inverters, particularly in the residential and commercial sectors. The company’s inverters are renowned for their high reliability, user-friendly interfaces, and advanced grid support functionalities. Power categories ranging from 1.5 to 100 kW guarantee suitability for virtually any system size, from a family home to a large-scale system. Fronius has been expanding its market presence with the launch of the Fronius GEN24 Plus, a hybrid inverter that combines solar and storage solutions. This product has received numerous awards for its innovation and efficiency.

To support its accelerated production goals, the firm increased its production capacity by 65 per cent per month, advancing from 32,000 inverters at the end of 2022 to 52,000 inverters by the end of 2023.

#3 SolarEdge Technologies (Israel)

Established in 2006 and headquartered in Herzliya, Israel, SolarEdge Technologies is known for its power optimizers and intelligent inverter solutions. The company’s inverters are highly efficient and come with advanced monitoring capabilities, making them a preferred choice for residential and commercial installations. SolarEdge leads the cohort of Israeli firms that have focused on the non module part of solar systems, especially the inverters and solar cleaning aspect of it.

Over 50 per cent of Fortune 100 companies have SolarEdge technology on their rooftops. SolarEdge recently introduced the SolarEdge Home Hub Inverter, which seamlessly integrates with home energy management systems, offering enhanced efficiency and user control. Priced at a premium to its Chinese counterparts, SolarEdge counts on deeper analytics driven insights and quality promise to sustain a market for its products, while maintaining a strong footing in the US market.

#4 FIMER S.p.A. (Italy)

In 2019, the Swiss industrial giant ABB Group divested its photovoltaic inverter business to the Italian company FIMER SpA. This takeover included 800 employees across 26 countries, two manufacturing plants in Italy and India, and an R&D facility in Finland. Acquiring ABB’s solar inverter business, which generated approximately $340 million in revenue in 2019, positioned FIMER as the fourth-largest solar inverter manufacturer in the world. Its central inverters base is particularly strong, positioning it well for upcoming utility scale solar plants where customers already have experience with the erstwhile ABB’s inverters.

FIMER has supplied its cutting-edge PVS980-58 5 MVA inverters to Jakson Green for the 40MW Ayodhya Solar PV Project, developed by NTPC Green Energy Ltd.

FIMER’s product range includes central inverters, string inverters, and microgrid solutions. Its central inverters are manufactured at the ‘Made in India’ facility in Bengaluru. FIMER is also revamping production capacity up to 15GW to meet the rising demand for renewable energy solutions. As it stands, FIMER has a direct presence in over 20 countries on 5 continents with 2 production sites in Italy and 1 in India.

#5 Enphase Energy (USA)

Headquartered in Fremont, California, Enphase Energy specializes in microinverter technology, which is particularly advantageous for residential solar systems. Enphase has been expanding its market reach in Europe and Asia, strengthening its global footprint.

The company is rapidly expanding its product offerings with the Enphase IQ series, which includes advanced microinverters with integrated energy management solutions. IQ8 Series Microinverters come with more than one million cumulative hours of power-on testing, enabling an industry-leading limited warranty of up to 25 years. Their USP is microinverter technology that sets them apart in the solar inverter market, providing considerable energy harvest, easy installation, and high reliability.

Enphase has shipped approximately 68 million microinverters and 73+ million microinverters since its inception, and approximately 3.5 million Enphase-based systems have been deployed in more than 145 countries.

While inverters are a vital and key piece of the opportunity for global power electronics players, in other solar domains as well, be it trackers, robotic cleaning and structures, non Chinese firms are making a serious effort to carve our a space for their own products. More on that later.