GRAPHIC-Solar inverter market to grow strongly in 2011

FRANKFURT, April 6 (Reuters) - Production of solar inverters, which convert direct into alternating current on solar systems, is set to increase by nearly 80 percent this year, a survey by industry publication Photon showed.

The $5 billion sector has seen rapid growth, and Photon said inverters produced in 2011 would allow for solar power output capacity of 52.945 gigawatts (GW), up from 29.801 GW last year.











Germany's SMA is set to remain the world's largest market player by far, while U.S. producer Power-One, which emerged as the global No.2 last year, will likely fall to third place behind Germany's Kaco New Energy, Photon's survey showed.

SMA Solar, which says it holds about 40 percent of the global solar inverter market, said last week it would vigorously defend its market share this year amid hefty pricing pressure from competitors.

(Graphic by Scott Barber; Writing by Christoph Steitz; Editing by Will Waterman) Keywords: SOLAR/INVERTER ([e-mail]; [phone]; Reuters Messaging: [e-mail]) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.