While global warming and climate change concerns are likely to boost the development of renewable energy (RE) technologies during this century, conventional power generation technologies such as thermal and hydropower are unlikely to be replaced. To provide a clean and sustainable solution for global warming, it is imperative that governments and large corporations first shift their focus from conventional power sources to RE technologies.

In general, the growth of the transmission and distribution (T&D) products for the RE markets in Asia Pacific depends on the development of grid-connected RE, wherein wind and solar energy are likely to be the major segments fuelling market prospects. With growing awareness of the impacts of global warming and climate change, new avenues are opening up for the T&D products for RE. In 2009, the T&D products installed in wind and solar plants accounted for 78.0 percent of the total T&D products installed in the RE markets.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Transmission and Distribution Products for Renewable Energy Markets in Asia Pacific, finds that the Asia Pacific RE T&D markets earned revenues of over $495.8 million in 2009 and estimates this to reach $1,076.5 million in 2016.

"T&D products for RE will be driven by wind projects in Australasia, solar projects in East Asia, and biomass and small hydropower projects in Southeast Asia," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Do Thai Son. "The geothermal market in Southeast Asia and Australasia is in the high-growth stage; however, the same cannot be said of the East Asian market as the respective government has no development plans in place, a trend that is likely to continue in the foreseeable future."

Despite the positive outlook for the market, some roadblocks are stalling its development. The prevalence of technical issues in providing grid-connected RE is a major challenge for the use of T&D products for the market. Lack of clear guidelines on specific RE technologies in some countries misleads project developers. Thus, policies and targets need to be revised periodically to encourage private investments in the markets.

Furthermore, power output from certain RE sources such as wind and solar can be intermittent. Fluctuations in output can adversely affect power grid frequencies, voltages, and component performance, causing instability in the power generation system and interrupted service to customers. Currently, concerns about power system reliability limit the amount of new and renewable energy that power utilities and transmission system operators allow to be connected to the grid. This adversely affects the T&D products used in grid-connected RE plants.

The high cost of an RE project installations are also an obstacle. Owing to their lack of financial wherewithal, most project developers opt for small-scale projects and are keen to acquire return on investments within a short time. In certain cases, financial institutions too are not familiar with the RE projects and are unwilling to support them. Easy availability of loans from banks, funds from the central government, and financial aid from developed countries will help project developers overcome this impediment.

"To stay ahead of competition, manufacturers in this space must enhance design efficiency or set up budget manufacturers in low-cost countries," says Thai Son. "Fostering and establishing partnerships with local manufacturers, government agencies, value-added resellers, and distributors is a surefire strategy for business expansion and divergence."