I. Global PV Policy Boost, Distributed Rooftop PV Demand Soars

In 2022, major global economies increased policy support for distributed PV, creating strong demand for mounting accessories such as tile roof hooks.

In China, the National Energy Administration continued to promote the pilot program for county-wide distributed rooftop PV development, with 676 counties (districts) nationwide included in the pilot scope. By the end of May 2022, China’s distributed PV installed capacity had reached 120 GW, accounting for about 37% of the country’s total PV capacity. In May of the same year, the State Council General Office forwarded the “Implementation Plan for Promoting High-Quality Development of New Energy” issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration, which explicitly proposed increasing support for farmers to build household PV systems using their own rooftops. Additionally, the “14th Five-Year Plan” for Building Energy Efficiency and Green Building Development, issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, proposed promoting the integration of solar PV into new buildings, expanding the application space for tile roof mounting systems.

In European markets, policy dividends were also intensively released. In 2022, the French Senate approved a law requiring solar installations on outdoor parking lots and a 50% PV coverage rate for rooftops. Against this backdrop, France is expected to add 6.7 GW to 11 GW of PV capacity in the coming years, rapidly expanding the PV market coverage. This policy directly drove demand growth for tile roof mounting solutions.

II. Intensive Product Innovation, Comprehensive Upgrade of Tile Roof Hook Technology

In 2022, several global PV mounting companies launched innovative products in the tile roof hook sector, achieving significant breakthroughs in product performance, installation efficiency, and adaptability.

1. Aerocompact: Integrated Metal Replacement Tile Hook System

In April 2022, Austrian mounting system supplier Aerocompact launched a revolutionary tile roof hook system – the CompactPITCH XM-P series. The biggest innovation of this product is the integration of the roof hook and metal replacement tile into one unit. Using a heavy-duty stainless steel bracket, it can be installed directly on the purlin in the load-bearing direction, capable of withstanding snow loads up to 4.7 kN. By fixing the hook to the underlying rafters with wood screws through the metal tile, the installation process requires no grinding or pre-treatment of tiles. Aerocompact can provide matching stainless steel replacement tiles for almost all standard tiles on the market. The product is suitable for all pitched roofs with any batten height, eliminating the need to change hooks for different tile heights. It can be planned using AEROTOOL software and has obtained CE certification.

2. Schletter Group: Aluminum Hook Debut at Intersolar 2022

Schletter Group, a world-leading manufacturer of solar mounting systems, launched several innovative products at Intersolar 2022 in Munich. In addition to its proven stainless steel and high-strength structural steel roof hooks, Schletter introduced two aluminum roof hooks – the “EcoA” and “RapidA” roof hooks – providing more options for project optimization and installation cost savings. The company also showcased the new RapidA 35 roof hook designed for lower roof rafters. All Schletter roof hooks are compatible with standard mounting rails and the new ProLine rails, thanks to a pre-installed rotatable multi-adapter. Schletter Group CEO Florian Roos emphasized: “Achieving the same or even higher load-bearing capacity with less material, and fast assembly on the construction site – this is the core concept of our product development.”

3. Kseng: Elastic Clip Design Significantly Improves Installation Efficiency

In December 2022, Chinese PV mounting company Kseng showcased tile roof mounting solutions highly adaptable to the European market at the ENERGAÏA International Energy Exhibition in Montpellier, France. The product range includes various types of tile roof hooks that are easy to install, greatly improving roofing installation efficiency and saving labor costs. Kseng’s newly developed roofing products have further upgraded roof adaptability and installation efficiency. The innovative elastic clip design achieves “one-press, extremely simple installation,” significantly reducing the difficulty of roof installation. This product’s rapid market responsiveness allowed Kseng to make a strong entry into the European mounting market, establishing warehousing centers in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and other countries while continuously improving local service systems.

4. Antai New Energy: Flexible and Diverse Tile Roof Hook Solutions

In August 2022, Antai New Energy released a full-scenario solution for commercial and industrial distributed mounting systems at the Fujian Distributed PV Seminar. For the most common residential rooftop type – tile roofs – Antai’s flexible and diverse hook designs, combined with lightweight aluminum alloy rails, can be applied to common residential roof types such as corrugated tiles, flat tiles, and fiber cement tiles. For commercial and industrial metal roofs, the company offers a wide variety of clamp products compatible with both rail-less and rail-inclusive designs, using high-strength aluminum alloy to ensure quality.

5. Other International Innovative Products

In 2022, several international companies also launched featured products in the tile roof hook sector. The UK-based Owlett‑Jaton, under its REDtip™ brand, introduced two solar mounting systems specifically designed for UK roof tiles at the Solar and Storage Live 2022 exhibition. The innovative hooks precisely fit the dimensions of UK interlocking tiles, reducing roof modification requirements and the need for costly flashings, enabling faster and safer installation. The Netherlands-based BluBase’s RoBoost tile roof mounting system features 100% aluminum roof hooks and an intelligent rotating coupler, ensuring the system is installed in the only correct way, greatly simplifying the installation process.

III. Continuous Improvement of Industry Standards: EN 14437:2022 Officially Released

In November 2022, the European Committee for Standardization officially released EN 14437:2022 “Determination of resistance to wind uplift of installed roof tiles.” This standard specifies the test method for determining the resistance to wind uplift of installed clay or concrete tile roofs. The test method applies to mechanical fixings such as clips, hooks, screws, and nails. Notably, the standard states that the test method was developed for clay or concrete tile roofs but can also be applied to other non-continuously laid small elements such as slates, fiber cement sheets, and stone, and with appropriate adjustments can be applied to PV modules and solar thermal collectors. The release of EN 14437:2022 provides an authoritative technical basis for verifying the performance of mechanical fixings such as tile roof hooks, which is of great significance for standardizing product quality and improving installation safety.

IV. Industry Trends: Diversification and High Efficiency Become the Main Theme

Looking at the development trends of the tile roof hook industry in 2022, the following trends are worth noting:

First, product adaptability continues to improve. Faced with diverse tile types and roof structures across different global regions, tile roof hook products are moving toward both generalization and customization. There are both universal designs suitable for all batten heights and dedicated solutions custom‑made for specific regional tiles.

Second, installation efficiency has become a core competitive advantage. From Schletter’s tool‑free connectors to Kseng’s elastic clips, from Aerocompact’s no‑pre‑processing installation to BluBase’s rotating coupler, all major manufacturers in 2022 made “simplifying installation and reducing working hours” a core goal of product design.

Third, materials and processes continue to be optimized. Stainless steel remains dominant, but the rise of aluminum hooks offers a new lightweight option. At the same time, reducing material usage while increasing load‑bearing capacity through optimized profile geometry has become an important direction for technological innovation.

Fourth, the stainless steel tile roof hook market is becoming a new growth point in the mounting sector. With the continued rise in global demand for solar rooftop system components, stainless steel tile roof hooks—thanks to their adaptability to diverse roof structures, high installation efficiency, and excellent corrosion resistance—are gradually becoming a focal point among solar rooftop system components.