Advanced Materials and Devices for Renewable Energy

The global market for advanced materials and devices for renewable energy is estimated to be worth $11.6 billion in 2009, but is expected to increase to $16.9 billion in 2014, for a 5-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.8%.

The largest segment of the market, solar energy (photovoltaics and thermal), is expected to increase to $13.1 billion in 2014, after rising at a CAGR of 9.5% from the 2009 value of $8.3 billion.

The second-largest segment, wind energy, is estimated to be worth $3.3 billion in 2009, and is projected to increase at a CAGR of 1.7% to reach $3.6 billion in 2014.

The geothermal energy segment is expected to reach $14 million in 2014, after rising at a CAGR of 19.3% from the 2009 value of $5.8 million.

The greatest amount of growth – at a CAGR of 193.6% – in the next five years is expected to occur in the small hydro and ocean energy sector. A value of $1.1 million in 2009 is projected to grow to $240.1 million in 2014.

This report focuses on the global market for advanced materials (e.g., polymers, elastomers, composites, high-temperature alloys, powder metals, thin films, and others) and devices (sensors and controllers, optics, etc.) used in the fabrication of solar-photovoltaic, solar-thermal, mini- and micro-hydro, wind, geothermal, and ocean renewable-energy devices and systems.

It is intended especially for developers and vendors of advanced materials and devices that target the renewable-energy systems market. It should also be useful to vendors of renewable-energy systems interested in understanding where the market is headed with respect to advanced enabling technologies. While the report is oriented to the interests and concerns of a nontechnical audience, it contains a great deal of technical information that should be of interest to scientists and engineers working in the renewable-energy field.