I. Industry Collaboration: SnapNrack and S-5! Announce Strategic Partnership

On August 29, 2023, two major U.S. solar mounting solution manufacturers – SnapNrack (a subsidiary of Sunrun) and S-5! (a leading authority in metal roof PV attachments) – announced a joint partnership to launch a combined kit solution.

The core of this collaboration is pre-assembling S-5!'s metal roof mounts with SnapNrack's All Purpose L Foot into a single kit. Previously, installers had to assemble the two components on-site, which was cumbersome. The new kit eliminates this step, significantly simplifying PV installation on metal roofs.

Andrew Wickham, Director of Product and Engineering at SnapNrack, said: "We started as installers and have always been committed to simplifying solar installation through pre-assembled hardware and ease of use. Our partnership with S-5! continues this tradition."

Under the agreement, the kit includes several S-5! products – CorruBracket™, SolarFoot™, ProteaBracket™, VersaBracket™, and the S-5-N™ Mini – along with the SnapNrack All Purpose L Foot. Through this partnership, SnapNrack's application engineering team can provide installers with comprehensive design and installation support.

Mark Gies, Director of Product Management at S-5!, commented: "SnapNrack is a great fit for us – they also believe in 'doing things the right way.' Their experience in the industry will bring tangible help to installers."

The two companies jointly exhibited the kit at the RE+ 2023 trade show in Las Vegas from September 12-14 (SnapNrack booth #4755, S-5! booth #3335) and began accepting orders at that time.

II. Industry Data: Global PV Tracker Shipments Reach 92 GW in 2023

According to a 2024 report by Wood Mackenzie, global PV tracker shipments grew 28% year-over-year in 2023, reaching 92 GW.

The report shows that the global tracker market is highly concentrated: the top three companies accounted for over 50% of global shipments, and the top ten suppliers held 90% of the market share.

By company ranking, U.S. companies continued to lead the global market:

Nextracker (USA): 23% market share, ranked #1

Array Technologies (USA): 16% market share, ranked #2

GameChange Solar (USA): 12% market share, ranked #3

PVHardware (PVH) (Spain): 10% market share, ranked #4

Arctech (China): 9% market share, ranked #5

Trina Solar (China): 6% market share, ranked #6

In terms of end markets, the United States was the largest single market for PV trackers in 2023, exceeding 37 GW, benefiting from large-scale project development driven by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with installations growing 10% year-over-year. Spain followed closely, accounting for over 50% of European tracker demand. Additionally, China's utility-scale PV project installations exceeded 140 GW in 2023, with the tracker market reaching 4.3 GW.

III. Technological Innovation: LONGi Green Energy Granted New PV Mounting Patent

On November 29, 2023, according to an announcement from the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. obtained a patent titled "A support truss for PV mounting brackets, PV mounting bracket and PV power station" (Patent Authorization No. CN220107854U), with an application date of April 2023.

The patent abstract indicates that the support truss structure includes a first profile and/or a second profile, forming a load-bearing area through specially designed bent structures. Compared to traditional solutions, this support truss can significantly improve construction efficiency.

IV. Industry Exhibition News

1. Mibet Participates in InterSolar South America 2023

From August 29-31, 2023, the InterSolar South America exhibition was held in São Paulo, Brazil. The Mibetsolar team exhibited a range of PV mounting system products, including floating PV mounting systems, ground PV mounting GT2, metal roof PV clamps, tile roof PV hooks, aluminum tripods, rails, and related accessories.

2. SUPER SOLAR Participates in SNEC 2023 in Shanghai

From May 24-26, 2023, SUPER SOLAR participated in the 17th SNEC International Solar Photovoltaic Exhibition in Shanghai. The company showcased its series of PV mounting products, including ground mounts, roof mounts, floating products, BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaic) mounting systems, large-span flexible mounting systems, and proposed a "full-scenario one-stop solar solution."

3. Jinko Power's New Mounting Solution Featured at 2023 PV Annual Conference

From December 14-16, 2023, the China Photovoltaic Industry Association held the "2023 PV Industry Annual Conference" in Suqian, Jiangsu Province. Jinko Power's solution, titled "Development and Application of a Patent for a Bifacial PV Module Mounting Bracket," was included in the "2023 PV Industry Innovation Achievement Catalog."

According to Tang Jialin, Chief Civil Engineer of Jinko Power's Design Institute, this new mounting solution reduces rear-side shading on bifacial modules, increases power generation, and significantly reduces steel consumption by 10%–25%. The solution has been implemented in multiple projects, including the 110 MW Tongling project, the 100 MW Qiqihar project, and the 50 MW Fuxin project.