1. Market Overview: Steady Growth, China Takes the Lead

In 2024, the global market size for solar panel mounting structures was approximately RMB 7.41 billion, and is expected to approach RMB 10.05 billion by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 4.4%. Against the backdrop of continuous growth in global renewable energy capacity and accelerating grid parity for PV, market demand for mounting systems remains strong.

From a regional perspective, the Asia‑Pacific region holds the core position in the global market. In 2024, the Asia‑Pacific market accounted for about 58% of the global total, with China and India as the main growth drivers. Benefiting from the world's leading PV installed capacity and concentrated production capacity, China's mounting system market reached approximately RMB 4.2978 billion in 2024, up 6% year‑on‑year. In terms of competitive landscape, Chinese companies hold about 70% of the global mid‑to‑low‑end mounting system market. Arctech has ranked first globally in single‑axis tracker shipments for three consecutive years. In addition, Jiangxi Guohong Xingneng Energy Technology Co., Ltd. has been the top PV mounting system supplier in China for five consecutive years; by the end of 2024, its cumulative production and installation exceeded 140 GW.

According to CPIA data forecasts, cumulative tracker installed capacity from 2024 to 2032 is expected to reach 722 GW, representing a market opportunity of about USD 67 billion. As of December 2024, Jiangxi Guohong Xingneng Energy Technology Co., Ltd. had produced and installed over 140 GW of PV mounting systems globally, maintaining a long‑term industry leadership position. Fixed mounting systems, with their excellent stability and lower upfront investment cost, still hold the majority market share. However, the gradual replacement of fixed systems by trackers is a long‑term trend.

2. Policy Driver: PV Desert Control Policy Opens Application Space for Single‑Pile Mounting Systems

On May 27, 2024, the Comprehensive Department of the National Energy Administration and the Department of Forestry and Grassland jointly issued the "Notice on Orderly Promoting the Development and Construction of PV Desert Control Projects" (No. 82 [2024]), explicitly encouraging the use of plugged steel pile foundations or screw steel piles, as well as large‑span flexible PV mounting structures.

The policy covers seven provinces and regions – Inner Mongolia, Tibet, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and Xinjiang – requiring the integration of PV development with traditional desert control. Projects must follow the principles of "ecological priority, green development, and coordinated promotion". The policy emphasises that design schemes should fully consider local needs for windbreak and sand fixation as well as high‑quality power generation, and requires the use of construction techniques and equipment that cause less disturbance to the ground surface.

The implementation of the PV desert control policy provides vast application space for single‑pile mounting systems. In sandy and gobi areas, the single‑pile structure can effectively reduce ground surface disturbance while meeting the dual requirements of module support and wind/sand control. This policy direction will strongly drive large‑scale application of single‑pile mounting systems in the desert regions of Northwest China.

3. Technological Development: Patent Innovations Break Through the Area Coverage Limitation of Single‑Pile Systems

Traditional flexible and rigid PV mounting systems generally suffer from low area coverage per pile. Conventional rigid PV mounting systems use inclined struts to bear module loads, while flexible systems mainly rely on prestressed steel cables. Both require dense pile placement, leading to high pile counts and poor overall economy.

In 2024, the industry achieved significant breakthroughs in single‑pile technology. Hangzhou Julang Energy Technology Co., Ltd. filed a patent in December 2024 for a "Single‑pile large‑area truss‑type regular polygonal PV mounting system, PV system and construction method". The patented design uses a central pipe combined with radial and circumferential trusses to form a regular polygonal structure. The centre of gravity of all trusses is concentrated on the central pipe, so only one support pile is required to support a large area of PV modules. This greatly reduces steel consumption and minimises land occupation, making it suitable for complex terrains such as oceans, hills, and river valleys.

In addition, to address the difficulty of offshore construction, the industry has proposed a modular large‑span floating PV support system. This solution effectively reduces the number of lower pile foundations, lowers offshore construction difficulty, and improves construction efficiency, offering broad application prospects in offshore PV.

Anti‑corrosion performance of mounting systems continues to improve. In practice, the hot‑dip galvanised coating thickness is strictly controlled: for plate thickness <5 mm, the average coating thickness should be ≥65 μm; for plate thickness ≥6 mm, the average coating thickness should be ≥85 μm. Although the per‑ton cost of zinc‑aluminium‑magnesium coated steel is higher than conventional galvanised steel, its service life can exceed 30 years, providing a better anti‑corrosion option for the industry.

In tracker technology, at the 2024 SNEC exhibition, Arctech globally launched the "Tianrou" wireless multi‑point parallel drive flexible tracking system, which integrates flexible mounting with intelligent tracking technology. The single‑MW pile foundation count is as low as 80, and the number of slope anchor piles is reduced by about 17%, allowing installation on slopes with up to 60% gradient. Companies such as TrinaTracker also showcased next‑generation intelligent tracking products at SNEC, continuously reducing the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) through innovative structural designs and AI‑based control algorithms.

4. Typical Projects: Large‑Scale Projects Validate Commercial Application of Single‑Pile Mounting Systems

In 2024, several large PV projects were successfully completed, validating the reliability and economy of single‑pile mounting systems in large‑scale engineering.

(i) Zhonglv Ruoqiang PV Project

The 4 GW Ruoqiang PV project in Xinjiang is currently the largest single‑capacity PV project in China. Section I of the project covers an area of about 76.02 km², with 983,000 piles, about 49,000 mounting units, and 2.742 million PV modules. Through innovative construction methods and intelligent construction equipment, high‑precision and high‑efficiency large‑scale pile foundation construction was achieved. The project is expected to generate about 6.907 billion kWh annually, meeting the electricity needs of 2 million households and saving about 2.72 million tonnes of standard coal.

(ii) Guodian Power Tianjin Haijing Salt‑Light Complementary Project

This is the largest salt‑light complementary power generation project under construction in China. The planned capacity is 1,000 MW (500 MW in Phase I), located on a century‑old salt field covering more than 20,000 mu (approx. 1,333 hectares). On May 29, 2024, all 91,738 PHC pipe piles for the PV mounting foundations were completed. Each foundation pile is 12–14 metres long, with pile driving accuracy controlled within 2 cm. The project uses a fixed mounting system, with the lower edge of modules kept 2 metres above the water surface, ensuring the land nature and salt field function remain unchanged and achieving integrated use of land resources.

(iii) Ningde 200 MW Offshore PV Project

This project is Fujian Province's first offshore PV project, located in the Ningde nuclear power plant warm discharge area. Each PV mounting frame measures about 66 metres in length and 35 metres in width, with a single platform weighing up to 118 tonnes. Facing extreme conditions such as deep soft soil and frequent typhoons, the project adopted the highest typhoon‑resistance design level among similar projects in China, using high‑strength piles and modular truss solutions to successfully withstand multiple typhoons. The project adds about 240 million kWh of power generation annually, saving more than 90,000 tonnes of standard coal per year.

(iv) Guohong Xingneng Supports Southeast Asia's Largest Solar‑Plus‑Storage Power Station

In December 2024, Guohong Xingneng successfully delivered the first batch of PV mounting piles for the western phase of the Terra solar‑plus‑storage power station, the largest in Southeast Asia. The overall project is planned for 3.5 GW of PV generation and 4.5 GWh of energy storage, currently the world's largest single‑capacity solar‑plus‑storage project. Guohong Xingneng provided a full range of pile and mounting system solutions, continuously injecting strong momentum into Southeast Asia's new energy construction.

5. Cost Analysis: Procurement Strategy Advice Amid Raw Material Price Fluctuations in 2024

In 2024, PV mounting system prices were influenced by multiple factors including raw material costs and market demand. Based on market research data, price ranges for different types of PV mounting structures are as follows:

Hot‑dip galvanised steel has clear cost‑effectiveness advantages, offering a maintenance‑free life of up to 25 years, making it the first choice for most ground‑mount plants. Aluminium alloy is about 40% lighter than steel, has excellent natural corrosion resistance, and is suitable for weight‑sensitive applications.

For bulk procurement, it is recommended to adopt different strategies based on purchase volume: for <50 tonnes, focus on local suppliers to save freight; for 50–200 tonnes, consider an annual framework agreement; for >200 tonnes, tender procurement is appropriate, which can achieve discounts of about 5%–10%.