I. Technological Breakthrough: Key Anti-Corrosion Technology for Hot-Dip Galvanizing Conquered in Northwest China

In September 2022, significant news came from the Qinghai Provincial Department of Science and Technology – the key technology for anti-corrosion of PV brackets via hot-dip galvanizing achieved industrial application.

To solve the corrosion problems of PV brackets in harsh environments such as high altitude, strong sandstorms, and high salinity/alkalinity, Haixi Huachi Chemical Machinery Co., Ltd., in collaboration with the Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Kunming University of Science and Technology, conducted technical research. They focused on developing new key technologies including acid mist absorption-resource utilization, online removal of iron ions from fluxing solution, stable growth of coating by alloying elements, and efficient zinc fume purification-resource utilization of soot, thereby comprehensively optimizing the hot-dip galvanizing production process.

This project’s achievements have been successfully applied to major construction projects of new energy enterprises such as State Power Investment Corporation, Sinohydro Bureau 4, Zhejiang Energy Group, and Qinghai Huanghe Hydropower Development Co., Ltd. As of December 2021, the project had achieved sales revenue of 380 million RMB, with very significant economic benefits.

The significance of this technological achievement lies not only in extending the anti-corrosion service life of PV brackets but also in solving industry pain points in traditional hot-dip galvanizing processes, such as uneven zinc coating thickness and high emissions of waste gas, wastewater, and residue. It provides a “Qinghai solution” for the green and standardized development of hot-dip galvanizing processes for PV brackets.

II. Market Dynamics: Leading Enterprises Forge Ahead, Market Continues to Heat Up

1. China’s PV Bracket Market Size Exceeds 19 Billion RMB

According to data released by China Commercial Industry Research Institute, the market size of China’s PV brackets recovered to about 17.5 billion RMB in 2021, a year-on-year increase of approximately 51.91%. With China’s continuous increase in PV installed capacity, it is estimated that the market size will reach 19 billion RMB in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 8.6%.

From a global perspective, global PV bracket shipments increased to approximately 210.5 GW in 2021, an increase of about 67.44% compared to 2020. Industry forecasts predict that global PV bracket market shipments will exceed 450 GW by 2025.

2. Guoqiang Xingsheng Tops “2022 China Top 20 PV Bracket Enterprises”

In June 2022, based on outstanding performance and excellent market performance over the past year, Jiangsu Guoqiang Xingsheng Energy Technology Co., Ltd. won first place in the “2022 China Top 20 PV Bracket Enterprises.” In July of the same year, the company again won the “2022 China Roofing Energy Accessories Influential Brand (Brackets)” award.

Guoqiang Xingsheng has gradually formed a complete industrial chain covering high-end raw material production for PV brackets, PV bracket processing, and hot-dip galvanizing. It has three major manufacturing bases in Liyang (Jiangsu), Tangshan (Hebei), and Xinyang (Henan), with an annual capacity of 32 GW and cumulative deliveries exceeding 60 GW. Its products are exported to more than 10 countries and regions, including Germany, Australia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

In the first half of 2022, the total installed capacity of centralized and distributed PV in China was 32.63 GW, of which distributed PV bracket installations totaled 20 GW. Guoqiang Xingsheng, with its innovative product applications and mature installation technology, installed a total of 3.2 GW of residential PV brackets, accounting for approximately 16% of the total installations.

3. Large-Scale Projects Intensively Launched, Hot-Dip Galvanizing Becomes Standard in Tenders

In December 2022, the Beiqing PV Baoying Ludo 70MW Fishery-PV Storage Integration Demonstration Project announced its winning bid for bracket procurement. The tender clearly required the anti-corrosion process to be hot-dip galvanizing or zinc-aluminum-magnesium coating for fixed brackets.

Around the same time, the tender for brackets for the PowerChina Shandong Electric Power Company’s Huadian Kuche Fire-PV-Storage Multi-Energy Complementary 550 MW Power Generation Project also explicitly stipulated that bracket columns, main beams, secondary beams, front and rear diagonal braces, and other materials should use the hot-dip galvanizing process. All connecting bolts should use anti-loosening nuts, and bolts, nuts, washers, etc., must also undergo the hot-dip galvanizing process.

III. Five Core Advantages of Hot-Dip Galvanized Solar Racking

1. Excellent Corrosion Resistance

Hot-dip galvanizing involves immersing steel into molten zinc, forming a metallurgically bonded zinc-iron alloy layer on the steel surface, providing long-lasting cathodic protection. In suburban environments, standard hot-dip galvanized anti-corrosion thickness can last over 50 years without repair. The hot-dip galvanized coating is naturally immune to ultraviolet radiation; unlike organic coatings that degrade under UV exposure, the metallurgically bonded zinc coating maintains its integrity indefinitely under solar radiation.

2. Excellent Cost-Effectiveness

For the same level of protection, the cost of anti-corrosion by hot-dip galvanizing is lower than that of other paint coatings. Made of iron and zinc (100% recyclable natural materials), hot-dip galvanized steel can be fully recycled at the end of its life cycle.

3. Reliability Covering the Entire Lifecycle

The design life of a PV power plant is typically 25 to 50 years. The corrosion protection life of hot-dip galvanized solar racking can reach decades with no maintenance, often exceeding the design life of the solar panels themselves. Hot-dip galvanized brackets fully match the 25-year design service life of PV power generation systems.

4. Adaptability to Various Harsh Environments

In suburban and rural environments, the service life of hot-dip galvanized solar components can reach 72 to over 100 years; in industrial environments, 50 to 75 years; and in moderate marine environments, 40 to 60 years, far exceeding the 25 to 50-year design life requirements of PV arrays.

5. Compliance with International Standards

Currently, the common international specifications for hot-dip galvanizing include ISO 1461 and ASTM A123. These specifications stipulate the corresponding reference coating thicknesses for different steel thicknesses. Professional testing according to these standards by third-party testing institutions can effectively evaluate the uniformity, adhesion, and corrosion resistance of the zinc coating, ensuring the product meets practical application requirements.

IV. Policy Background: Policy Tailwinds Boost High-Quality Development of the PV Bracket Industry

In 2022, a series of major policies injected strong momentum into the development of the PV industry.

In May, the General Office of the State Council forwarded the “Implementation Plan on Promoting High-Quality Development of New Energy in the New Era” issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration (NEA). Focusing on difficulties in new energy development, the plan proposed 21 policy measures in seven aspects, including innovative development and utilization models, building a new power system, deepening “delegation, regulation, and service” reforms, and guaranteeing reasonable spatial requirements.

The NDRC, NEA, and seven other departments jointly issued the “14th Five-Year Plan for Renewable Energy Development,” clearly promoting the comprehensive development of distributed PV, implementing the “Thousand Towns and Ten Thousand Homes Solar Action,” and actively advancing the “PV+” comprehensive utilization action.

As of June 2022, China’s PV installed capacity had reached 336 million kW, of which distributed PV installed capacity was 127 million kW. A total of 676 counties were listed as pilot projects for rooftop distributed PV development, with a cumulative filed capacity of 66.15 million kW.

V. International Perspective: Widespread Global Application of Hot-Dip Galvanized Solar Racking

In 2022, hot-dip galvanized solar racking continued to gain widespread application globally. In a farm solar project in Idaho, USA, the farmer installed solar trackers on idle corners of the field. Considering the need for protection of solar panels exposed to harsh weather conditions, the project adopted a hot-dip galvanizing solution. About 80% of the structural components were galvanized, including the tracker foundation posts, tracker arms, and a large number of hardware pieces. This sustainable solution doubles the service life of the steel, ensuring minimal future maintenance requirements.

In Dubai, UAE, a 3.3 MW solar power generation system was successfully installed in July 2022, using a hot-dip galvanized ground ballasted system, serving as an important demonstration case for integrating renewable energy solutions in high-temperature, arid environments.