Distributed PV Installations Continue to Rise, Driving Strong Demand for Mounting Systems

In 2022, China added 87.4 GW of new grid-connected PV capacity, of which distributed PV accounted for 51.11 GW – 58.48% of the total. Notably, new distributed PV installations grew approximately 75% year-on-year, surpassing centralized PV station capacity for the second consecutive year. By the end of 2022, China's cumulative installed distributed PV capacity had reached 157 GW.

Driven by the county-wide rooftop distributed PV pilot program, a total of 676 counties (districts) were included in the pilot scope, greatly activating the development potential of rooftop resources. Commercial & industrial (C&I) distributed PV became the fastest-growing segment: from January to September 2022, newly installed C&I distributed PV capacity reached 18.74 GW, a year-on-year increase of 296%. As a core component of PV power generation systems, the demand for mounting systems grew in tandem with PV installations. In 2022, the size of China's PV mounting system market was estimated to reach RMB 19 billion.

Technological Innovation Leads Industry Development; Flexible Mounting Breakthroughs Expand Application Scenarios

In 2022, solar roof mount solutions presented a diversified technological landscape. Beyond traditional fixed and tracking mounts, flexible mounting technology made breakthrough progress, becoming a hot topic in the industry.

First rooftop flexible mount PV project in China connected to grid. In July 2022, the 6.00264 MWp distributed PV project undertaken by Shanghai Electric Power Construction Fujian Company for Guoneng Shenfu (Jinjiang) Thermal Power achieved full-capacity grid connection, marking the official launch of China's first rooftop flexible mount PV project. Located on the new plant site of Fengzhu Textile in Jinjiang, Fujian Province, the project utilized about 47,000 m² of factory and dormitory rooftops. To overcome shading caused by 5–6 m high lighting vents on the factory roof, the project innovatively adopted a flexible mounting solution: steel columns were erected on the concrete roof, and PV modules were fixed with clamps onto steel wire rope suspensions, effectively utilizing the large-span ventilation space of the workshop roof.

Flexible mounts demonstrated significant advantages. Compared with traditional fixed mounts, the flexible mount system offers larger and adjustable spans. On the same land area with large spans, the module layout capacity is approximately three times that of fixed mounts. In this project, the number of PV modules increased by 7,359 units, adding nearly 4.3 MW of capacity on the same footprint, generating an additional 5.17 million kWh annually, thus maximizing land utilization. The project's average annual power generation is approximately 6.98 million kWh, saving about 2,291.67 tons of standard coal and reducing CO₂ emissions by about 6,965.84 tons each year.

Expanding application scenarios for flexible mounts. In November 2022, the largest distributed PV project at a wastewater treatment plant in China – the Beihu Wastewater Treatment Plant distributed PV project – was fully connected to the grid, setting multiple records: largest installed capacity nationwide, largest number of large-span flexible mounts, and largest single-span distance. The project has a total capacity of 23.7 MW. Prestressed flexible mounts were adopted above the secondary sedimentation tanks and biological tanks, with a maximum continuous span of 730 meters and a maximum single span of 59.3 meters – the largest single span among flexible mount systems in China. Over a 25-year operating period, the project will provide about 22 million kWh of green electricity annually, saving about 8,000 tons of coal and reducing CO₂ emissions by about 20,000 tons.

Industry experts note that the flexible, adjustable, and space-saving characteristics of flexible mounts give them broad applicability – including tidal flats, fish ponds, wastewater treatment plants, complex mountainous terrain, barren slopes, and water ponds – indicating vast prospects.

Continuous Product Innovation; Accelerated Integration of BIPV and Roofing Systems

In 2022, solar roof mount solutions also saw remarkable product-level advances.

BIPV technology maturing. Yingli Jiasheng adopted a hybrid BIPV (Building-Integrated PV) + BAPV (Building-Applied PV) solution for the Nanjing Maierui Biomedical project, with an installed capacity of 100 kW and expected annual generation of 106,600 kWh. A BIPV solution was designed for the building's cafeteria skylight, using customized 40% transmittance "Liuli Kongming" series PV green building materials, meeting the building's needs for light transmission and aesthetics. In September 2022, Yingli Jiasheng provided a BIPV solution for Shanghai's first modular zero-energy building – the Shanghai Canxing City complex – using a combination of PV curtain wall and PV roof. Rooftop capacity was 101.7 kW, and facade capacity was 13.98 kW, meeting all of the building's electricity needs.

New product launches. Clenergy released the EzRacking SolarRoof MacX system in December 2022, featuring a new high-corrosion-resistant Zn-Al-Mg coated surface with triple protection, capable of withstanding extreme weather such as severe cold, heat, humidity, and dust. Suitable for various residential roofs, it uses innovative rail profiles and clamps, offering easy installation, high strength, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, Risen Energy launched BIPV products "Super Top" and "Super Tile," and JinkoSolar introduced BIPV products based on its N-type TOPCon cell technology.

Installation process innovation. Zhoushan Power Supply Company developed an innovative "no-roof-removal" BIPV installation process. Based on a flattened corrugated steel roof, a drainage system is laid, and L-shaped brackets and self-tapping screws penetrate the steel roof to securely connect the PV mounting system to the roof steel structure. This greatly reduces roof load pressure while avoiding the cost and time of roof removal. The process was successfully applied to the Zhoushan Changhong International Shipyard rooftop distributed PV project, with a total capacity of nearly 19.27 MW covering approximately 200,000 m² of factory roofs – the largest "no-roof-removal" BIPV project in Zhejiang Province.

Industry Standards and Policies Increasingly Refined

In 2022, national and local authorities issued multiple standards and regulations related to PV mounting systems, promoting orderly and healthy industry development.

In May 2022, the Construction Specification for Residential Rooftop Distributed PV Grid-Connected Projects (T/ZS 0280-2022) was officially released, providing systematic guidelines for basic provisions, site surveys, design schemes, installation, and commissioning of residential PV projects. Cities including Dongguan, Zhuhai, and Zhongshan also issued management measures for distributed PV projects, explicitly requiring corrosion-resistant and anti-rust materials for PV mounts, with wind and gravity loads meeting national steel structure construction quality acceptance standards. In March 2022, the National Energy Administration issued the *14th Five-Year Plan for Building Energy Efficiency and Green Building Development*, clearly promoting the integrated construction, installation, and application of solar PV in new buildings, and encouraging government-invested public buildings to increase solar PV use.

These policies and standards provide clear technical guidance and quality assurance for solar roof mount solutions, promoting steady and standardized industry development.