The deal underscores Yaskawa’s drive to “broaden [its] exposure in the renewable energy market”, says Mike Knapek, president of Yaskawa’s America division.

While both Solectria and Yaskawa currently produce PV inverters, which are used to convert the electricity produced by PV modules into the form used by the power grid, neither is yet a global leader in the space.

Yaskawa, a $3.6bn