Driven by the global push for carbon neutrality and rising energy security concerns, the photovoltaic (PV) industry continued its rapid growth trajectory in 2022. As a critical support component for PV power plants, the ground-mounting system ushered in a new wave of development opportunities. This article reviews the industry’s progress in 2022 across five dimensions: market landscape, technological innovation, material breakthroughs, policy environment, and corporate dynamics.

I. Market Overview: Record-High Installations, Sustained Demand for Ground-Mounting Systems

The global PV market maintained strong growth in 2022. According to the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, global PV新增 installations reached approximately 230GW in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 35.3%. China’s新增 installed capacity reached 87.41GW, up 59.13% year-on-year, hitting a record high and ranking first among all power generation sources. Among this, utility-scale ground-mounted power plants added 36.29GW, up 41.8% year-on-year, accounting for about 41.52% of the total; distributed PV added 51.114GW, up 75%, accounting for 58.48%, making it the main driver of new installations.

Driven by rapidly rising installed capacity, the market size of PV ground-mounting systems expanded in tandem. In 2021, China’s PV mounting system market exceeded RMB 17 billion, and it was expected to reach approximately RMB 19 billion in 2022. In terms of structure, fixed-tilt mounting systems remain the most widely used product due to their lower cost and simple structure. However, tracking systems have continued to gain market share due to their significant power generation gains. In 2022, the market penetration rate of tracking systems in China reached about 23%. By the end of 2022, a total of 185GW of PV smart tracking mounting systems had been installed globally, accounting for 26.35% of all utility-scale PV mounting systems.

Mounting system costs account for approximately 5%–8% of the initial investment in ground-mounted PV systems. In China, the cost of mounting systems was about RMB 0.3 per watt. Steel prices showed a high-to-low trend in 2022, falling from a peak of over RMB 6,600 per ton in mid-2021 to about RMB 4,000 per ton by the end of 2022. Aluminum extrusion prices also declined from the second quarter and remained stable in the third and fourth quarters. Consequently, the direct material cost pressure on mounting system manufacturers was effectively alleviated.

Benefiting from lower raw material costs, leading companies achieved significant performance growth. For example, Arctech (a leading Chinese mounting system manufacturer) reported operating revenue of RMB 3.703 billion in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 53.29%; net profit attributable to parent company shareholders was RMB 44.43 million, up 195.57%. The company shipped approximately 7.22GW of fixed-tilt systems and 3.33GW of tracking systems, for total shipments of about 10.55GW. Its cumulative installed mounting system capacity reached approximately 50GW, with about 1,500 projects successfully installed in over 40 countries and regions. In terms of PV mounting system business revenue in 2022, Arctech, Yihua Precision, Trina Solar, Clean Energy, and Akcome achieved RMB 3.237 billion, RMB 2.913 billion, RMB 1.269 billion, RMB 1.234 billion, and RMB 0.911 billion, respectively, demonstrating an increasingly clear competitive landscape.

II. Technological Evolution: AI Empowers Tracking Systems, Smart Algorithms Become Core Driver

In 2022, technological development in ground-mounting systems showed a clear trend toward intelligence and scenario-specific design. Compared to fixed-tilt systems, tracking systems can increase power plant generation by 10%–25%, making them an important technical means to improve project returns.

In terms of smart technology, leading companies introduced intelligent tracking control systems based on AI algorithms. In December 2022, TrinaTracker’s SuperTrack intelligent algorithm was successfully selected for the “2022 PV Industry Innovation Achievement Catalog.” The technology leverages a patented bifacial irradiance model (BIM), deep learning of the generation characteristics of bifacial modules under multiple parameters, and real-time dynamic optimization of the optimal tracking angle based on meteorological and system operation data, thereby increasing power generation under high-scattering irradiance conditions. Compared to conventional tracking algorithms, the gain can reach up to 8%.

TrinaTracker also attracted significant attention at Intersolar Europe 2022 in Munich with its Vanguard 1P mounting system and the newly upgraded SuperTrack intelligent algorithm. The Vanguard 1P is fully compatible with Trina Solar’s Vertex series ultra-high-power modules and, together with the Trina Smart Cloud intelligent O&M solution, achieves full lifecycle reliability improvement and cost reduction.

Antai New Energy also provided its SkyWings tracking system solution for the largest fishery-PV complementary project in Hubei Province – the Huaren · Chibi Riyadh 350MW project. The project uses a patented multi-revolver mechanical synchronous drive design combined with self-developed intelligent tracking algorithms, achieving a tracking angle range of ±60°, highly adaptable to large-size bifacial modules, and significantly improving power generation efficiency.

Guoneng (Risen Energy) continued to advance its tracking system technology in 2022, launching solutions such as multi-point drive, dual-row linkage, and independent single-row 1P/2P. These systems feature AI intelligent control and extreme weather protection strategies, are compatible with the high efficiency of 210mm large-format modules, and can be used in complex terrain and flat ground scenarios respectively.

Overall, tracking systems are rapidly evolving from traditional mechanical drives to electrical and digital intelligence. Smart tracking algorithms, extreme weather protection strategies, big-data fault diagnosis, and other cutting-edge technologies are gradually maturing, making intelligent tracking systems a key competitive differentiator.

III. Material Innovation: Zinc-Aluminum-Magnesium Coated Products Accelerate Adoption, Significantly Improving Durability

Material technology was another major breakthrough area for PV ground-mounting systems in 2022. Zinc-aluminum-magnesium (ZAM) coated products have been rapidly adopted in the PV mounting system industry due to their excellent corrosion resistance, environmental friendliness, and cost advantages.

In September 2022, the first ZAM-coated product production line in Xinjiang was successfully commissioned at Xinjiang Shenzhou Tongxin New Materials Co., Ltd. in Midong District, Urumqi. The product offers extremely high corrosion resistance, suitable for various harsh climates such as deserts and tidal flats. Compared to traditional batch hot-dip galvanized products, the ultimate zinc-layer ZAM coating provides better adhesion, uniformity, and density, saves over 50% of zinc resources, and eliminates the flux pollution of crude post-galvanizing processes, offering significant green advantages.

Also in September 2022, HBIS Group’s Hansteel completed its first supply of ZAM products to the Tianjin PV market, totaling 2,300 tons. The product has a thickness of 1.8–2.0mm and a ZAM coating weight of 275g/m², making it a thick-gauge product primarily used for solar PV mounting systems. The ZAM coating is produced by adding certain proportions of aluminum and magnesium to a zinc bath, forming a dense barrier on the steel surface that effectively prevents corrosion factor penetration, offering superior corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and good weldability.

In addition, Nippon Steel’s ZEXEED next-generation super magnesium-aluminum-zinc steel product, developed in 2021, accelerated its market introduction in 2022. The product aims to address the increasing frequency of extreme weather and typhoon damage to PV systems, enhancing both corrosion resistance and wind resistance. Reports indicate that super magnesium-aluminum-zinc steel has corrosion resistance ten times higher than ordinary galvanized steel, and mounting systems using this material can achieve a service life of up to 20 years.

The large-scale application of ZAM materials signals a rapid transition in the PV mounting industry from traditional batch galvanizing to high-performance, long-life, environmentally friendly new material systems, providing a more robust foundation for the full lifecycle reliability of ground-mounted PV power plants.

IV. Policy Environment: Stricter Land Use Controls, Upgraded Standards for Hybrid Projects

In 2022, land use policies for PV power generation projects underwent important adjustments. In June, the General Office of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the General Office of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, and the General Office of the National Energy Administration jointly issued a draft notice on regulating land, forest, and grassland use for PV power generation development. The draft imposed stricter requirements on land use management for PV hybrid projects (e.g., agrivoltaics).

The document clearly states that new or expanded PV projects must not occupy permanent basic farmland, basic grassland, Class I protected forests, core protected areas of nature reserves, etc. Site selection must avoid ecological red lines, areas with special natural landscape value, etc. The document encourages the use of unused land and existing construction land for PV development, mainly deserts, Gobi, and wasteland for large-scale PV bases, as well as subsidence areas, open-pit mine dumps, and abandoned mining areas.

At the local level, provinces such as Shanxi and Shandong also issued supporting policies, specifying land approval and management requirements for hybrid projects like agrivoltaics and forest-PV complementation. For agrivoltaic projects using farmland other than permanent basic farmland, a certificate from the county-level agricultural department confirming no impact on agricultural production is required.

Meanwhile, the National Energy Administration stated it would work with the natural resources and forestry/grassland authorities to issue construction standards for various hybrid projects (agrivoltaics, forest-PV, etc.), continuously improving relevant land policies to ensure strict farmland protection while promoting efficient land use.

As land control tightens, site selection and design of ground-mounted PV projects will face higher compliance requirements, posing new technical challenges for mounting systems in terms of terrain adaptability and ecological compatibility.

V. Corporate Dynamics: Accelerated Global Expansion, Leading Companies Capture Overseas Markets

In 2022, Chinese PV mounting system manufacturers made significant breakthroughs in global expansion, with overseas markets becoming a key growth driver.

Arctech’s expansion in the Indian market was particularly notable. In August 2022, Arctech’s joint venture factory with Jash Energy in Mundra, Gujarat, officially commenced production. Covering 16 acres with an annual capacity of 3GW, it is India’s first factory dedicated to solar tracker production. The joint venture secured a major order upon commissioning – the 261MW PV project in Devigod, Rajasthan, using Arctech’s SkyLine II tracking system.

In December 2022, Arctech won another massive order in India – a 2.8GW SkyLine II tracking system contract for a desert project on the India-Pakistan border, expected to become India’s largest single PV plant after completion. With this order, Arctech’s cumulative PV mounting system shipments in India reached 7GW, firmly establishing its market leadership. According to Wood Mackenzie, Arctech held a 45% share of India’s solar tracker market in 2021.

By the end of 2022, Arctech had established branches in Saudi Arabia, Chile, Brazil, and other locations, with overseas revenue accounting for 44% of total revenue. The company completed international mega-projects such as the 2.1GW tracking system project in Abu Dhabi, continuously expanding its global footprint.

For TrinaTracker, according to S&P Global, TrinaTracker ranked first in Asia-Pacific tracker shipments and first in China tracker shipments in 2022. By the end of 2022, TrinaTracker’s global production capacity exceeded 8GW, and global sales exceeded 9GW, with business covering numerous countries across five continents.

Yihua Precision’s wholly-owned subsidiary Yihua New Energy, a professional PV tracker manufacturer, also gained strong customer recognition in international markets, securing clients such as NT, GCS, FTC, Trina Solar, and Chint Aneng.

Driven by both the carbon neutrality goal and global energy transition, Chinese PV mounting system manufacturers are accelerating their global expansion, transitioning from product export to technology export and localized manufacturing, with continuously increasing international competitiveness.