The growing requirement for post-installation service contracts across many types of sites, such as municipalities and school districts, presents an emerging opportunity for photovoltaic system providers in the U.S., finds a new study released by NPD Solarbuzz.
According to the report, this incremental opportunity represents more than 2,000 immediate new targets for PV systems providers within the U.S., as a complement to the 37 GW of PV projects above the 50 kW level dating back to January 2010.
"Traditionally, the focus of PV systems providers in the U.S. has been on current or planned installations, but competition has become increasingly fierce across the 3,700 projects above the 50 kW level that are at various stages of development," explains Christine Beadle, an analyst at NPD Solarbuzz." Recently, systems providers in the U.S. have started to target completed PV installations as a means to expand their addressable market and revenue opportunities."
Completed PV projects in the U.S. now exceed those being installed or planned. More than half of the PV projects are completed, with less than one-tenth in the installation phase and slightly more than one-third in planning stages, according to NPD Solarbuzz.
A variety of opportunities now exist for PV systems providers, including post-installation service contracts across many individual and multiple sites, options to expand the size of existing PV installations, and the potential to upgrade original site installs with advances in PV technology.
"Over the lifetime of the PV installation, equipment has to be maintained, cleaned and repaired," Beadle points out." Securing service contract business has, therefore, become a highly lucrative source of ongoing revenues."
