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Photovoltaic Market Outlook 2025: Key Insights & Innovations

Photovoltaic Market Outlook 2025: Key Insights & Innovations

The photovoltaic industry is transforming energy production, driving sustainability, and improving energy independence. The 2025 Photovoltaic Market Outlook delves into emerging trends, technological advancements, and market strategies that are shaping the future of solar energy, optimizing efficiency, and expanding adoption across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.
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The 2025 Photovoltaics Market Outlook gives an overview of a dynamic sector characterized by steady growth and rapid innovation. With solar energy becoming more cost-competitive, the PV market is growing rapidly, fueled by technological advancements, supportive policies, and an increased global emphasis on decarbonization. Key trends driving the industry include advancements in energy storage integration, the rise of hybrid solar systems, and the adoption of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) in urban infrastructure.

This report provides detailed insights into emerging startups, investment patterns, and firmographic data, showcasing how these elements collectively shape market dynamics. By analyzing these developments, the report offers a clear view of how photovoltaics is transforming energy generation and driving the future of renewable energy adoption. This photovoltaic market outlook serves as a reference for stakeholders within the industry, investors, policymakers, and economic analysts, providing a snapshot of the industry’s health to map its trajectory for innovation and growth in the coming years.

StartUs Insights Photovoltaic Market Outlook 2025

 

Photovoltaic Market Outlook 2025 | StartUs Insights

 

Executive Summary: Photovoltaic Market Outlook 2025

This report is created using data obtained from the Big Data and AI-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering more than 4.7 million global companies, as well as 20K+ technologies and emerging trends. We also analyzed a sample of 1130+ photovoltaic startups developing innovative solutions to present five examples from emerging photovoltaic market trends.

  • Industry Growth Overview: With an annual growth rate of 1.42%, the photovoltaics sector has grown steadily due to innovations in fields like building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), hybrid solar systems, and photovoltaics with storage.
  • Manpower & Employment Growth: Over 3.7 million people are employed worldwide by this industry, and more than 200 700 new employees were added last year.
  • Patents & Grants: The industry has 483 000+ patents from 49 000+ applicants, and the number of patent submissions is growing by 6.12% annually. Additionally, it has earned over 4000 grants, highlighting its growth driven by innovation.
  • Global Footprint: Key country hubs include the US, India, Germany, China, and the UK, with city hubs such as Shenzhen, London, Melbourne, Sydney, and Mumbai leading development efforts.
  • Investment Landscape: With an average investment value of USD 48.9 million per round, the industry has concluded over 13 700 funding rounds with the backing of 8400+ investors.
  • Top Investors: Leading investors, such as BlackRock, European Investment Bank and KKR, and more, collectively invested around USD 24.5 billion in the industry which highlights significant financial backing for the sector.
  • Startup Ecosystem: The industry’s global reach and spirit of entrepreneurship are demonstrated by five creative startups: SOLRA-PV (printable perovskite PV), G-LYTE (high energy yield indoor PV cell), SolOcean (floating photovoltaic system), Ambient Photonics (low-light energy harvesting solar PV cells), and iWin (photovoltaic blind for window).
  • Recommendations for Stakeholders: Investors should prioritize promoting new and scalable technologies, particularly in BIPV and photovoltaics with storage. To meet new market expectations, entrepreneurs should explore integrated and hybrid solar systems. To speed up the adoption of renewable energy, governments should increase grants and legislative incentives.

Explore the Data-driven Photovoltaic Market Outlook for 2025

The photovoltaic market outlook 2025 uses data from the Discovery Platform and encapsulates the key metrics that underline the sector’s dynamic growth and innovation. The heatmap highlights worldwide trends and innovation hotspots while offering a visual depiction of important data points in the photovoltaics industry. The vast ecosystem of the industry is reflected in the database, which has 50 200 companies and more than 1130 startups. The industry grew by 1.42% last year, and it is still growing steadily driven by 4000 grants and 483 000 patents worldwide.

Over 3.7 million employees are driving this expansion, including 200 700 new employees that joined the industry in the last 12 months. The United States, India, Germany, China, and the United Kingdom are a few of the important geographic centers that are promoting innovation. Some of the top cities for the development and use of photovoltaics are Shenzhen, London, Melbourne, Sydney, and Mumbai. The sector’s dynamic nature and its contribution to the global advancement of sustainable energy solutions are shown by this global distribution.

What data is used to create this photovoltaic report?

Based on the data provided by our Discovery Platform, we observe that the photovoltaic market ranks among the top 5% in the following categories relative to all 20K topics in our database. These categories provide a comprehensive overview of the market’s key metrics and inform the short-term future direction of the market.

  • News Coverage & Publications: The photovoltaics industry has received substantial attention with 9200+ publications in the last year, reflecting strong news coverage and research interest.
  • Funding Rounds: With information on over 13 700 funding rounds in our database, it stands out in terms of funding activity.
  • Manpower: The sector employs more than 3.7 million people worldwide, and in the last year, it has added more than 200 700 new employees.
  • Patents: Innovation is consistent, with 483 000+ patents filed in this sector.
  • Grants: The industry benefits from substantial public support with 4000+ grants provided worldwide.
  • Yearly Global Search Growth: A 1.06% annual growth in worldwide search trends suggests that interest is still growing on a global scale.

A Snapshot of the Global Photovoltaic Market

The photovoltaics industry shows significant growth and innovation, underscoring its importance in advancing renewable energy solutions globally. The industry’s consistent growth was reflected in its 1.42% yearly growth rate. The sector has 1130+ startups and a strong innovation ecosystem, with more than 1200 early-stage companies actively creating innovative technology. Additionally, more than 1900 mergers and acquisitions (M&A) show strong attempts at scale and consolidation.

With over 483 000 patents submitted by over 49 000 applicants worldwide, the industry has a strong intellectual property landscape and has achieved 6.12% annual growth in patents. China is leading the way in patent issuance with 173 000+ patents and the US follows with 90 100+ patents. These numbers demonstrate the photovoltaics industry’s rapid growth, which has been fueled by both established companies and up-and-coming newcomers.

Explore the Funding Landscape of the Photovoltaic Market

The photovoltaics sector is still receiving a lot of funding, highlighting its significance as a major force behind innovation in sustainable energy. Investor confidence in the sector’s potential is evident by the average investment value of USD 48.9 million per funding round. A dynamic fundraising environment is highlighted by the more than 13 700 funding rounds that have been successfully closed and the 8400+ investors that are actively supporting the industry.

Additionally, more than 4000 businesses have benefited from investments which ensures a broad dedication to developing photovoltaic solutions and technology. This thriving financial activity highlights the industry’s attractiveness to investors and its potential to provide important breakthroughs in renewable energy.

Who is Investing in the photovoltaic market?

The top investors in the photovoltaics industry have collectively invested over USD 24.5 billion, highlighting their significant role in the sector. The top investors, the number of businesses they have supported, and the amount they have invested are mentioned below:

This section offers firmographics data of the latest photovoltaic trends. Explore the growth and expansion of top trends in the photovoltaics industry :

  • The Photovoltaics with Storage trend is gaining traction with more than 650 companies actively developing in this field. With almost 104000 employees and 7900 new employees in the last year, this trend has shown its quick growth. Its 7.9% yearly growth rate emphasizes the rising need for dependable and adaptable energy solutions.
  • Hybrid Solar Systems combine several energy sources for optimal performance and over 650 companies worldwide represent this field. With over 27600 employees, this field has added over 2400 new employees in the past year. The demand for efficient and varied renewable energy systems is fueling the trend, which is expanding at a 5.5% annual rate.
  • Building-integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) trend incorporates solar panels directly into building structures with 190+ companies and 17500+ employees. With more than 700 new employees in the past year, this trend has an annual growth rate of 9.12%, which is indicative of its growing use in sustainable architecture and urban development.

5 Top Examples from 1130+ Innovative Photovoltaic Startups

The five innovative startups showcased below are picked based on data including the trend they operate within and their relevance, founding year, funding status, and more. Book a demo to find promising startups, emerging trends, or industry data specific to your company’s needs and objectives.

SOLRA-PV offers Printable Perovskite PV

Israeli startup SOLRA-PV creates printable perovskite solar panels that advance indoor energy harvesting. Its technique does not require batteries and wires and uses ambient light energy to power Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensors. The panels have a plug-and-play architecture for simple installation, higher efficiency in low-light conditions, and adjustable sizes to accommodate a variety of applications. Additionally, tts patented technology offers a maintenance-free and sustainable substitute for traditional power solutions. This also enhances the accessibility and environmental sustainability of IoT devices in households, workplaces, and commercial settings.

G-LYTE provides High Energy Yield Indoor PV Cell

French startup G-LYTE offers In-Dye, an indoor photovoltaic cell that uses less energy and space to power connected devices. It harvests light in low light levels by imitating photosynthesis using dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) technology. In-Dye offers higher energy yield while maintaining voltage stability under a variety of illumination conditions.

The product’s low-temperature glass frit sealing method ensures long-term performance and recyclability while providing durability. Additionally, G-LYTE reduces battery dependency and advances environmentally acceptable energy practices for contemporary applications by providing small, adaptable, and dependable power solutions.

SolOcean creates Floating Photovoltaic System

SolOcean is an Austrian startup that creates floating solar systems that maximize energy production on water surfaces. The system has a modular floater made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is durable in freshwater and coastal conditions and resistant to UV radiation. It uses high-sensitivity cells and advanced coatings in curved, double-glass photovoltaic panels to optimize light exposure while avoiding salt crystallization and organic dirt adhesion.

The modular structure makes it simple to assemble, scale, and maintain with its 21 interchangeable components which makes it suitable for a range of uses. Further, SolOcean provides an energy solution that survives challenging aquatic circumstances by fusing durable materials with adaptable designs. This promotes sustainable energy generation without any negative influence on the environment.

Ambient Photonics offers Low-Light Energy Harvesting Solar PV Cells

US-based startup Ambient Photonics provides low-light energy harvesting solar PV cells to power connected devices sustainably. The startup efficiently harvests energy in real-world situations by using dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), which suit low-light indoor environments. Its low-light indoor (LLI) and LLI Bifacial solar cells collect light from both sides utilizing optically clear glass offering better performance.

This method also improves energy efficiency, lowers battery use, and facilitates flexible industrial designs for gadgets like keyboards, sensors, and remote controls. Further, Ambient Photonics provides a scalable, environmentally friendly way to power the expanding network of connected devices in consumer, commercial, and industrial applications.

iWin offers Photovoltaic Blinds for Window

Swiss startup iWin creates photovoltaic venetian-blind systems that integrate into insulating windows, offering glare reduction, light control, and energy production. The technology embeds thin-film solar cells into blinds housed inside a double-glass chamber which offers durability and protection from weather, dust, and dirt. This design also regulates sun radiation to prevent summertime overheating. The system suits highly glazed, multi-story buildings and enables easy installation in both new and retrofitted zero-energy buildings.

Gain Comprehensive Insights into Photovoltaic Trends, Startups, or Technologies

The 2025 photovoltaics industry report highlights steady growth driven by innovation, increased investment, and expanding global adoption of solar technologies. Key trends shaping the industry include advancements in energy storage integration, the rise of hybrid solar systems, and the adoption of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), all contributing to a more sustainable and efficient energy future. Get in touch to explore all 1130+ startups and scaleups, as well as all industry trends impacting 50 200+ companies.

 

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