1. Safety Certification Milestone: UL 3741 Becomes a New Industry Benchmark

In 2024, UL 3741 certification became the most important industry event in the ballasted PV mounting sector. This standard evaluates the electrical hazard control of PV systems under firefighter intervention scenarios and is a key safety certification for PV mounting systems in the North American market.

In August 2024, US‑based DCE Solar announced that its Eco‑Top roof solar mounting structure had successfully passed UL 3741 certification, meeting NEC 2020 requirements. This certification means that, while meeting safety standards, the system can eliminate the need for module‑level rapid shutdown devices (MLPE), saving customers $0.09‑0.13 per watt in additional costs.

Eco‑Top system key parameters:

Ballasted design with durable recycled rubber ballast pads, protecting the roof membrane and reducing vibration

Mechanical attachment points reduced by 5× compared to conventional solutions, saving $0.03‑0.06/W in material and labour costs

Integrated wind deflectors reduce system wind loading

Built‑in vibration resistance, integrated grounding and equipotential bonding

Wind resistance rated 90 mph, supports flush, 5° or 10° tilt

The significance of UL 3741 certification lies in its evaluation of the combined safety of PV mounting systems and electrical components, not just individual component compliance. Contractors considering building a UL 3741 compliant PV array must consult manufacturers to determine qualified inverter‑mounting system combinations. With UL 3741 continuously updated and promoted in 2024, this certification is becoming “standard equipment” for commercial flat‑roof PV projects in North America, driving the industry from “module‑level protection” toward “system‑level safety”.

2. Technological Innovations: Lightweighting, Modularisation and Fast‑Install Designs

2.1 Lightweight Ballast Technology

The core challenge of ballasted systems is reducing system weight while maintaining wind resistance. In 2024, several companies made breakthroughs in lightweight design.

Guangdong Powerway New Energy obtained a patent in September 2024 for a “convenient lightweight ballasted PV mount”. The patent uses a dual‑slope symmetrical structure – two PV panels and a bottom beam arranged symmetrically – creating a relatively enclosed space. This design significantly reduces the wind shape coefficient, lowers wind loads, improves PV mount stability, and makes better use of limited roof space, effectively solving the problems of poor wind resistance and susceptibility to overturning in traditional ballasted mounts.

Novotegra significantly reduced ballast requirements for its Flat Roof Series II and III systems in 2024 through optimised calculation models and wind tunnel testing. The new calculation method allows Solar‑Planit to identify modules based on actual module fields, applying wind‑tunnel‑derived cpe values individually to each module, achieving targeted ballast optimisation. Especially for smaller system arrays, sliding ballast requirements were significantly reduced compared to the past.

2.2 Rail‑less / Reduced‑Rail Designs

In 2024, reducing or eliminating rails became an important design direction for ballasted systems. Sun Ballast demonstrated its concrete ballast solution at RE+ Northeast, reducing aluminium mount components by 95% in favour of concrete ballast components, using the weight of concrete to secure modules while eliminating traditional rails, simplifying installation.

2.3 Adjustable Ballasted Systems

As PV module sizes increase, the versatility of ballasted systems must also improve. Zhangzhou Jingzhao Technology obtained a patent in December 2024 for a “roof ballasted PV mount and roof PV panel system”. Through the design of first and second adjustable pressure‑foot components, the system achieves adjustable, adaptive installation for PV panels of different thicknesses, solving the installation difficulty caused by non‑uniform thickness of large‑format modules.

2.4 Open‑Source Ballasted Foundation System

In March 2024, Western University published a study on ballast‑supported foundation designs for low‑cost open‑source solar PV mounts. The foundation system aims to eliminate the need for drilling and concrete pouring, while offering solutions for both fixed‑tilt and variable‑tilt systems, remaining cost‑effective and allowing user modifications. By proposing two ballast designs for single‑line and double‑line post systems, the study provides new low‑cost options for distributed manufacturing and small‑scale PV projects.

3. 2024 New Product Launches & Exhibition Highlights

3.1 AEROCOMPACT S_BASE Fast‑Install System (RE+ 2024)

In September 2024, Austrian PV mounting manufacturer AEROCOMPACT officially launched the S_BASE flat‑roof fast‑install system at RE+ North America.

S_BASE key highlights:

Four‑part minimalist design: lightweight aluminium ballast plates, upright brackets, wind deflectors, and module clamps – only four components

Click‑fit fast installation: brackets snap into place with an audible click, no tools required

High transport efficiency: a single pallet can hold 144 ballast plates, sufficient for 120 modules, greatly reducing transport costs

Integrated ballast platform: base integrates ballast channels and wind deflectors, reducing point loads and ballast material

Large‑module compatibility: accommodates modules up to 8 ft (approx. 2.44 m) long, adapting to large‑format module trends

Tilt options: supports 5° or 10° south‑facing tilt

Digital design tool: AEROTOOL.CAD plugin enables layout, stringing, energy simulation, shading simulation, ballast calculation, and generation simulation within AutoCAD, with export to PVSyst

The system has passed Intertek certification and began customer shipments in November 2024.

3.2 Sun Ballast New Products (Intersolar 2024)

In April 2024, Sun Ballast announced it would showcase several innovative products at Intersolar Europe 2024, including new structures for large PV panels.

Product highlights:

Over 40 ballasted PV models developed, covering panels of various sizes

Launched No‑Flex, Mono‑XL and Industrial‑XL series for large panels, providing simple, robust, and safe support systems for large panels on commercial buildings

Teased a revolutionary, ultra‑lightweight new system

3.3 Enerack Ballasted‑Ult East‑West System

Chinese PV mounting manufacturer Enerack launched the Ballasted‑Ult east‑west integrated rear leg in April 2024, suitable for concrete flat roofs or trapezoidal metal roofs. The system supports 10‑15° tilt, uses AL6005‑T5 aluminium alloy and EPDM materials with anodised surface finish, and is equipped with 304 stainless steel clamps. The design simplifies installation, improves construction efficiency, and reduces overall project costs.

3.4 Mibet Flax S10 Wind‑Deflector Ballasted System

Mibet launched the new Flax S10 non‑penetrating ballasted mounting structure with a three‑side wind deflector (both sides and rear). The system withstands wind speeds of 45 m/s and snow loads of 1.6 kN/m², suitable for concrete roofs, flat ground, and membrane roofs. It supports pre‑installation and tool‑free assembly of connecting components; on‑site work only requires installing centre and side ballast blocks. The system is made of AL6005‑T5 aluminium alloy and comes with a 10‑year warranty.

4. Market Dynamics: Overseas Project Validation & Growing Demand

4.1 Large‑Scale Coastal Project: Dangjin 100 MW PV Plant, South Korea

Schletter Korea began supplying mounting systems for the 100 MWp coastal PV project in Dangjin, South Korea, in November 2024, with installation completed in early May 2025. The project is located on 990,000 m² of reclaimed saltwater site within a migratory bird protection area, where tens of thousands of birds winter annually. The project faced multiple challenges: strong coastal winds, high salt exposure, unstable ground, and strict environmental regulations. To minimise environmental impact, low‑noise piling methods were used during construction. Despite construction being restricted during the migration season (December to February), with only 3.5 months of effective construction time, the project was completed on schedule. The continued presence of migratory birds during and after construction reflects the success of the protection measures.

The project uses the Schletter FS Duo SRF6 system with ETA2 and LC90 foundations, specifically designed for coastal high‑corrosion environments, offering excellent load capacity and corrosion resistance.

4.2 Rooftop Application Example: Residential Flat Roof Ballasted Installation

In December 2024, Sun Ballast completed a residential flat‑roof ballasted installation in Switzerland. The system consists of single pre‑assembled components requiring no roof penetration, placed directly on any flat surface (membrane, gravel, concrete, or pavers), causing no damage to roof materials, and offering complete mobility.

4.3 Market Size Continues to Grow

According to market research data, the global solar PV mounting system market was valued at approximately $44.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.4% to $68.2 billion by 2034. Ballasted systems, as an important flat‑roof mounting solution, play a key role in this growth trend.

5. 2024 Ballasted System Technology Trend Summary

6. Future Outlook

Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, ballasted PV mounting systems will exhibit the following trends:

UL 3741 certification proliferation: As safety requirements for PV systems in the North American market continue to rise, UL 3741 certification will become an “entry barrier” for commercial flat‑roof ballasted projects. Certified products can greatly simplify system design and reduce overall costs.

Ultra‑lightweight materials: The use of high‑strength aluminium alloys and new composite materials will further reduce ballasted system weight, expanding applicability to older building roofs.

Aerodynamic optimisation: Wind deflector designs optimised through wind tunnel testing and CFD simulation will become more widespread, reducing ballast requirements by 15‑30% while improving wind resistance.

Smart ballast calculation: AI‑assisted wind load simulation and ballast calculation will become standard design practice, using differentiated ballast configurations for different roof zones (edge, corner, interior) to avoid “one‑size‑fits‑all” ballasting.

Dedicated solutions for large‑format modules: As 600W+ modules proliferate, dedicated ballasted systems for large‑format modules will continue to emerge, meeting the installation requirements of larger spans and higher loads.

Ballasted PV mounting systems, with their unique advantages of no roof penetration, fast installation, and removability, are becoming the preferred solution for commercial flat‑roof distributed PV. With the spread of UL 3741 safety certifications, continuous iteration of lightweight designs, and the maturation of fast‑install technologies, ballasted systems are moving from an “alternative option” toward a “standard configuration”, providing more efficient, safer, and more economical support for the green energy transition of commercial buildings.