Profits in storage

According to a soon-to-be-released report from Business Communications Company, the total global market for capacitors, flywheels and SMES systems will rise at an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 5.9%, from $9.2 billion in 2005 to $12.2 billion in 2010.

The market for emerging energy storage systems is segmented by many devices: capacitors, batteries, fuel cells, flywheel energy storage (FES) systems, superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) systems, and compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems. The largest market shares are represented by capacitors, flywheels, and SMES systems.

The total capacitor market is segmented by mature and emerging capacitor technologies. Mature capacitor technologies include aluminium, tantalum, and ceramic capacitors.

These capacitor types are considered mature because they are technologically advanced, and they account for 98.7% of all capacitor sales. Materials for aluminium, tantalum, and ceramic capacitors are also technologically developed. Nevertheless, availability fluctuates, and new materials are being explored to increase performance and decrease cost.

However, the largest and most rapidly growing market shares are represented by niobium-oxide capacitors, film capacitors, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors, and aerocapacitors. The latter three capacitor technologies are types of electric double layer (EDL) capacitors. Niobium oxide and film capacitor materials are mature while EDL capacitor materials are still being developed.

Of the three emerging devices considered, the share for capacitor technologies will increase from 50.8% in 2005 to nearly 59% in 2010 as it grows at an AAGR of 22.8% through the forecast period. Currently estimated at $115.8 million, the combined shares of emerging capacitors as a percentage of all capacitors are also expected to increase from 1.3% to 2.7% by 2010. Film capacitors maintain the largest share of the market for emerging capacitor technologies, but niobium-oxide capacitor sales are growing most rapidly.

FES systems are the second largest segment within emerging technology with sales expected to rise to $222 million in 2010. FES systems include high-speed flywheels and low speed flywheels. High-speed FES units control the largest share of the FES system market, and sales for high-speed FES devices are growing most rapidly. Uninterruptible power supplies are the dominant driver of the FES system market. In addition, markets for frequency regulation and wind power offer significant growth potential for FES systems.

Global market value of energy storage devices: Capacitors, FES systems, and SMES systems, 2005 and 2010

   Millions

*Mature (Aluminium, tantalum, and ceramic capacitors) and Emerging (niobium-oxide capacitors, film capacitors, and electric double layer capacitors). Source: BCC, Inc.