1. Market Overview: Scale Expansion and Structural Differentiation

In 2024, global PV installed capacity reached approximately 530 GW, a 35.9% year-on-year increase, providing a solid growth foundation for the mounting industry. Industry research institutions estimate that the PV mounting market space will further grow to 97.44 billion yuan in 2025. However, unlike the price wars in PV modules and other main materials, the mounting industry showed a healthy trend of "volume growth with stable prices".

The core reason for this structural difference is that the sharp decline in module prices unleashed demand for overseas utility-scale ground power stations. Combined with stabilizing raw material prices (e.g., steel) and improved capacity utilization, multiple factors jointly boosted the profitability of mounting system companies. In other words, while the module segment saw severe margin compression, the return on capital for downstream power station investments actually improved, driving demand for auxiliary equipment such as mounting systems.

2. Technological Innovation: From "Just Mounting" to "Mounting Well"

In 2024, technological innovation in roof solar mounting systems entered the fast lane. The industry focus has shifted from "how to fix PV panels on a roof" to more complex engineering challenges.

Wind resistance became a primary focus. Hainan Daos Energy’s flexible mounting project withstood the severe test of Typhoon Yagi (Category 17) in 2024 – its unique design uses east-west double pre-stressed steel strands for load bearing and north-south flexible stabilizing wind resistance systems between rows, providing a reliable technical model for roof PV in high-wind areas. Meanwhile, Haitai New Energy obtained a patent for a "wind-resistant PV mounting bracket" that reduces wind drag by hinging support rods and plates at both ends of an I-shaped frame with spring buffer structures. Another Haitai patent, a "wind-resistant PV module mounting base," uses an elastic tie-rod assembly to further enhance wind performance.

Ease of installation and transport efficiency also saw breakthroughs. The "counterweight block structure" patent from SPIC (State Power Investment Corporation) Qinghai PV Innovation Center significantly reduced the handling difficulty and transport cost of roof PV mounts. Suzhou Jiacai PV's "foldable PV mounting bracket" patent minimizes transport space. Additionally, Zhejiang Clean Energy’s patented prestressed concrete double-T slab TPO roof PV mount enables uniform load transfer of the PV system, solving the long-standing problem of limited load-bearing capacity on old factory roofs.

Flexible PV mounting systems emerged as a dark horse. Represented by Huirong Energy Technology, its flagship product "three-cable space truss structure flexible PV mounting system" achieved cumulative orders exceeding 3 GW, with order value over 1.2 billion yuan. LONGi Green Energy also obtained a patent for a "flexible PV mounting anchor structure and PV power generation system" in the same year, further enriching the technology pipeline.

3. Company Dynamics: The "Mounting Logic" of Counter-Cyclical Growth

The performance divergence across the PV industry chain in 2024 was remarkable. While polysilicon, wafer, cell, and module segments suffered widespread losses, mounting system companies delivered impressive results.

Arctech Solar was the most typical example. In 2024, the company's revenue grew counter-cyclically by 41.3% to 9.026 billion yuan, and net profit attributable to shareholders increased 83% year-on-year to 632 million yuan. Its global tracker shipment ranking rose from fifth in 2023 to second. As of the end of June 2024, orders on hand were approximately 6.669 billion yuan, of which trackers accounted for about 5.549 billion yuan, up 183.11% year-on-year. This performance reflects Arctech's strategic focus on strengthening its global supply chain and vertically integrating the mounting industry chain.

Clenergy was active on the international stage. In 2024, the company exhibited at Düsseldorf Solar Solutions and the Solar & Storage Live UK, where its roof PV mounting system SolarRoof Pro 2.0 became a showpiece. The product reduces installation time and costs by optimizing connector designs. According to its financial report, in the first half of 2024, Clenergy's mounting revenue grew 75.55% year-on-year in China, 150% sequentially in Europe, and 139.04% year-on-year in Canada.

Antai Technology entered the global top 10 tracker shipments for the first time. In 2024, the company shipped 2.55 GW of trackers, up 40% year-on-year, above the industry average, maintaining and expanding its leading position in Japan, Australia, and Southeast Asia while achieving further breakthroughs in Europe, the Middle East, and South America.

4. Policy Tailwinds: Multiple Factors Boosting Industry Development

In 2024, national and local governments continued to introduce supportive policies for PV development, injecting strong momentum into the roof mounting system sector.

At the national level, policies such as the "Guidance on Promoting Circular Utilization of Retired Wind Power and PV Equipment" and the "Implementation Opinions on Accelerating Charging Infrastructure Construction to Better Support New Energy Vehicles in Rural Areas and Rural Revitalization" significantly promoted the standardization and scaled development of the PV industry.

At the local level, various subsidy policies were implemented. In Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province, technical upgrades for PV projects of 1 MW or more that have been in operation for more than 10 years are subsidized at 0.2 yuan/W for the upgraded capacity. Sichuan Province introduced measures to support the sustainable and healthy development of the PV manufacturing industry, with provincial finance providing support up to 35% of actual expenditures for eligible cities, up to a maximum of 30 million yuan per city. Statistics show that in September 2024 alone, national and local governments issued 40 PV-related policies covering 19 provinces and cities.

5. Overseas Markets: Chinese Mountings "Voyage Abroad"

In 2024, Chinese PV mounting companies accelerated their overseas market expansion. However, customs data showed that China's solar mounting exports fell to $4.455 billion, down 5.06% year-on-year – the phenomenon of "volume growth with declining value" reflects the reality of intensified competition and price pressure in overseas markets.

Even so, Chinese companies maintained a significant position in global competition. Trina Solar expects its 2024 mounting shipments to grow about 50% year-on-year, with overseas PV mounting demand still projected to grow over 20%. Arctech Solar fully benefited from the rise of emerging markets such as the Middle East and Latin America, with orders on hand of about 4.65 billion yuan as of the end of December 2024. The IEA's "Renewables Report" also clearly states that China's PV industry will continue to lead global renewable energy development in the coming years.