I. Technological Breakthrough: How FRP Solves PV Plant "Pain Points"

Traditional PV plant access walkways often use steel gratings or aluminum alloys. However, in environments with high humidity, high salt spray, and strong ultraviolet radiation, metal materials suffer from corrosion, electrical conductivity, and high maintenance costs. This is particularly acute in coastal areas, chemical plants, and floating PV projects, where conventional metal walkways often begin to rust within three to five years – threatening worker safety and raising the plant’s life‑cycle cost.

FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer), also known as fiberglass, addresses these industry pain points through its unique physical and chemical properties:

Corrosion‑resistant, never rusts. FRP is highly resistant to acids, alkalis, salt spray, organic solvents, and other corrosive media, enabling long‑term stable service in harsh environments such as chemical parks, coastal zones, and floating stations. For example, Taiwan’s hot, humid, high‑salt, island climate offers clear advantages for FRP over metals in PV system construction.

Lightweight yet strong, easy to install. FRP has only one‑quarter the density of steel but comparable longitudinal strength. This means that transportation and installation do not require heavy lifting equipment – only a small crew and hand tools – significantly reducing construction costs. In 2022, many installers reported that FRP walkway installation efficiency improved by more than 30% compared to traditional metal walkways.

Electrically insulating, enhancing operational safety. PV plants are dense with electrical equipment. Metal walkways with poor grounding or aging can easily cause electric shock accidents. FRP is inherently insulating, effectively reducing the risk of electrocution for maintenance personnel. Moreover, FRP has low thermal conductivity, which reduces heat absorption in high‑temperature environments and helps stabilise the ambient temperature around the plant.

UV‑resistant, long service life of up to 20 years. UV inhibitors can be added during FRP production, preventing colour fading and aging under prolonged sunlight. Under normal conditions, FRP walkways have a design life of over 20 years with virtually no maintenance, giving them a significantly lower life‑cycle cost than metal alternatives.

Anti‑slip design for all‑weather safe access. The surface of FRP gratings can be textured with anti‑slip patterns, providing safe walking for maintenance personnel even in rain, snow, or oily conditions. Furthermore, the grid structure drains water effectively, preventing ponding and dirt accumulation to keep the walkway clean.

II. Benchmark Project in 2022: 1.2 MW Rooftop PV Plant in Indonesia

In 2022, a 1.2 MW rooftop PV plant in Indonesia officially began operation. This project was the first to deploy a large‑scale solar mounting system that integrated FRP walkways and FRP cable trays, setting a benchmark for high‑safety solar projects in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia has a tropical climate with high temperatures, frequent rainfall, and severe salt spray corrosion in coastal areas. The FRP walkway used in this project featured the following design highlights:

Non‑corrosive material – FRP never rusts and withstands high humidity, salt spray, and frequent rain, far outperforming traditional steel.

Electrical insulation – FRP does not conduct electricity, greatly reducing electrical safety risks for maintenance personnel working in wet environments.

High strength‑to‑weight ratio – While maintaining high strength, FRP is very light, imposing minimal additional load on the roof structure and eliminating the need for structural reinforcement.

Integrated cable management – The accompanying FRP cable trays organise DC cables, AC cables, and communication cables, protecting them from UV damage, animal bites, and physical impact, while eliminating trip hazards and electrical risks.

This project provides a replicable technical model for large‑scale PV plants in tropical Southeast Asia, fully validating the long‑term suitability of FRP materials in hot, humid, high‑salt environments.

III. Market Trend: FRP Walkway Demand Moves from "Optional" to "Standard"

Globally, the application scenarios for FRP solar walkways are expanding from simple plant access paths to more specialised segments:

Commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftop plants are the largest application area. After PV modules are installed on metal roofs, maintenance personnel need safe access for cleaning, inspection, and troubleshooting. FRP walkways provide a reliable path without damaging the roof waterproofing layer.

Ground‑mount plants also show strong demand. In large‑scale ground‑mount PV plants, maintenance walkways must be placed between module rows. FRP gratings can be customised to size and shape to suit different plant layouts, with load capacities ranging from 250 kg/m to 1000 kg/m.

Floating PV is an emerging growth area for FRP. FRP can be directly exposed to water and marine environments. Replacing traditional steel structures with FRP ensures corrosion resistance while meeting load requirements, and can also reduce pile length, lower construction difficulty, and cut project costs. In 2022, Chinese patent documents indicated that FRP floating combination PV supports are becoming an important technical direction for fishery‑complementary solar and floating plants.

Chemical parks, wastewater treatment plants, and other corrosive environments are traditional strongholds for FRP walkways. In these areas, metal walkways would quickly corrode, whereas FRP materials can serve stably for many years in the presence of chemical gases and aggressive media.

IV. Industry Voice: Composite Materials Help PV Industry Reduce Costs and Increase Efficiency

In September 2022, Ravi Patel, Director of India’s Aeron Composite Pvt. Ltd., said in an industry interview: “The acceptance of FRP/GRP cable trays and walkways in the renewable energy sector is increasing. The core driver is the initial economic advantage over metals – FRP products have a longer service life and require virtually no maintenance.” Aeron Composite is a leading manufacturer of FRP/GRP walkway gratings, cable trays, and handrails, exporting to more than 30 countries.

Patel also noted that to meet specific industry needs, Aeron’s R&D team has developed conductive FRP products (for applications such as oil refineries where electrostatic protection is required) and high‑UV‑resistant FRP products (for areas with intense ultraviolet radiation). In addition, its FRP cable trays have passed ASTM‑84 and BS 476 fire tests, providing flame‑retardant properties.

V. Industry‑Academia Collaboration: Integration of FRP Composites and PV Technology

In 2022, the integration of FRP materials and PV technology advanced not only in engineering applications but also in academic research and patents.

In academic research, a study published in December 2022 in the International Journal of Civil Engineering showed that researchers had developed an innovative FRP‑confined concrete beam integrated with solar cells. The FRP acted both as an adhesive for the solar cells and as a structural component reinforcing the beam – providing a new technical pathway for “structural‑generation integration”.

In patent activity, China saw several FRP PV support patents in 2022. One “floating combination PV support” patent replaced traditional steel structures with FRP components, solving the problems of high construction difficulty and cost in floating PV. Another “easily assembled and disassembled FRP PV support” patent used locking screw connections without bolts, allowing rapid assembly and greatly improving installation efficiency.

Also in 2022, JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE published a cutting‑edge innovation: seamless integration of non‑encapsulated flexible solar films into FRP parts using the HP‑RTM process, enabling structural components to generate electricity. If industrialised, this technology would further expand the application boundaries of FRP composites in the PV sector.

VI. Future Outlook: Broad Prospects for the FRP Solar Walkway Market

Looking ahead, the FRP solar walkway market will likely show the following trends:

Higher standardisation. As FRP walkways are adopted more widely in the PV industry, product standards, installation specifications, and acceptance criteria will mature, moving the industry from “customised” to “standardised”.

Further cost reduction. With improvements in production processes and increased manufacturing capacity, the unit cost of FRP materials is expected to continue declining, further strengthening their competitiveness against conventional metals.

Expansion of application scenarios. Beyond rooftop and ground‑mount plants, emerging segments such as BIPV (building‑integrated photovoltaics), solar carports, and solar pathways will bring incremental market opportunities for FRP walkways.

Accelerated smart integration. FRP walkways can be integrated with intelligent monitoring systems to provide status sensing, environmental monitoring, and alert functions, supporting digital operation and maintenance of PV plants.

Green and sustainable development. FRP’s long life and maintenance‑free nature reduce resource consumption and waste generation, aligning well with the low‑carbon, environmentally friendly direction of the PV industry.