Given the relatively high costs involved in the manufacture of PV systems, manufacturers are continuously striving to find ways to improve power and efficiency ratios in order to keep costs down and help the growth of the industry at large. Government subsidies cannot be relied upon indefinitely and the industry has to ensure that it is exploring all ways of bringing costs down. Some experts say that in order to become independent from subsidies by governments and make use of market dynamics for PV equipment its costs have to be reduced by at least 50% over the next 5 years. Specific PV plant costs can be split into various components such as modules, inverters, stands, cabling, planning, mounting and installation. Increasing improvements in inverter technologies is one area that is helping to significantly drive costs down whilst improving performance and maintaining quality and safety. Estimates suggest that inverter costs for gridconnected plants are nearly constant at approximately 15% of total costs independent of the rated power of the pv-system. Although in the last 10 years costs have been cut by half already, there is dearly room for improvement here and several innovative designs and configurations are emerging on the market to address this area. One such example is SMA's multi-string inverter which is described below along with a range of products available from several worldwide manufacturers of PV inverter systems. We list some of these key manufacturers of inverters for use in PV systems highlighting the often unseen work that is going on in the inverter manufacturing side to drive costs down. Advanced Energy Inc Advanced Energy specializes in the design and cost-managed production of electronic power conditioning and control equipment and also provides applied engineering and system design for a wide range of emerging technologies. Advanced Energy has established singular expertise in resolving issues regarding the interconnection of these technologies to the utility grid. The Advanced Energy MultiMode Power Conversion System is a 5kW customer energy appliance that carries out PV power conversion all in one box. The MM reduces electric utility bills during normal operation (grid-connect mode) and provides backup power when the utility grid fails (stand-alone mode). The MM features: Integral controller and switch gear; Full battery charge-control that minimizes grid-connect power loss and extends battery life; Maximum Power Point Tracking; Charge Control Coordination; Superior voltage regulation (no flicker); High Peak Power for motor starting; Multiple-unit capability; Simple user interface; Full communications (RS-485); Optional remote data logging; Quick-install, outdoor-rated case; Quiet reliable operation; and a standard five-year warranty Contact: Advanced Energy Inc PO Box 262