NEXTracker and Array Technologies Reign Supreme in Global PV Tracker Market, IHS Markit Says

By IHS Markit analysts Camron Barati, North America solar, and Cormac Gilligan, solar supply chain

Highlights

NEXTracker and Array Technologies remain far and away the leading suppliers of PV tracker systems globally, in addition to being leading suppliers of PV structural equipment in general.
Vertically integrated suppliers First Solar and SunPower notably lost market share in 2016. This has coincided with First Solar’s announcement to downsize its EPC business and to exit the structures market in 2016.
Convert Italia and Arctech have risen into the top five, finding success in emerging tracker markets outside of the United States in Latin America, the EMEA region, and India.
In the United States — the largest market for PV tracker products globally — Soltec, GameChange Solar, and Sunlink were the winners in terms of growth in the market outside of the big two (NEXTracker and Array Technologies).
Analysis

Of the top 10 suppliers, distributed systems accounted for two thirds of shipped products, while one third was accounted for by centralized solutions, with NEXTracker and Array Technologies leading each product category respectively.
Leading tracker suppliers found success by continuing to dominate in the US market, but with the market slowing down in 2017, developing international markets for trackers will be key for maintaining growth, along with developing niche solutions for small-scale applications and sites with less than ideal land types (uneven terrain, obstructions, etc.)
For international growth, look to Latin American markets such as Brazil and Mexico, EMEA markets such as Turkey and Jordan, and Asian markets such as India and Australia.