Analysis of the Industry Chain, Installed Capacity, Market Size, and Competitive Landscape of China's FPV Systems
Industry in 2026: The Core Strength of Chinese Enterprises in Promoting the Global Floating Photovoltaic Scale Implementation
Overview of Floating Photovoltaic Industry
Floating photovoltaic systems refer to the establishment of floating photovoltaic power stations on water surfaces such as ponds, small lakes, reservoirs, and reservoirs. This type of project construction has no fixed operating platform and is greatly affected by buoyancy.
Water resources are fully utilized and the problem of large land occupation is solved in traditional photovoltaic power generation of floating PV systems. While producing clean energy, they protect water resources by reducing surface evaporation, achieving the comprehensive utilization of water resources, electricity, and agriculture. FPV systems have the characteristics of saving land, improving system power generation efficiency, being less affected by external human interference, and being beneficial to environmental protection.
The floating bodies and platforms to float photovoltaic modules, inverters, and other power generation equipment on the water surface for power generation are used. It is suitable for water bodies with a depth greater than 3m, where the stability of the water body is not significantly affected by typhoons. At present, the mounting structures of floating photovoltaic systems mainly include two types: integrated floats+ fixed brackets.
Floating Photovoltaic Industry Chain
The floating photovoltaic system mainly consists of two core parts: the floating platform on water and the photovoltaic power generation system. The photovoltaic power generation system includes photovoltaic cells, photovoltaic modules, inverters, combiner boxes, cables, etc., which are responsible for converting solar energy into electrical energy and achieving grid connected output.
Floating system on water: including floating body, anchoring system, lifting structure, etc. The floating body system is usually made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) material, providing buoyancy support for photovoltaic modules to float on the water surface. The anchoring system includes steel wire ropes, spiral piles, etc., used to fix the position of the floating mounting structures. The midstream is for floating photovoltaic integration, with the core being the integration of upstream equipment and materials to complete the design, assembly, and construction of floating photovoltaic power plants. The downstream is the operation and grid connection of the power station, which includes daily equipment inspections, troubleshooting, regular maintenance, etc. The grid connection is responsible for connecting the electricity generated by the power station to the grid, realizing the transmission and utilization of electricity, and connecting the electricity consumption end.
Installed capacity scale of floating photovoltaic industry
With the continuous growth of onshore photovoltaic installed capacity, land resources are becoming a key factor restricting the large-scale development of photovoltaic systems, while water-based photovoltaic systems demonstrate greater development potential due to their wide water area and abundant solar energy resources. In the past decade, the global installed capacity of floating photovoltaic systems has significantly increased. According to IEA data, the cumulative installed capacity of floating photovoltaic systems worldwide was only 1.6 gigawatts in 2018, and has rapidly increased to 9.2 gigawatts by 2024. The regional distribution is highly concentrated, with nearly 90% of the installed capacity concentrated in Asia, of which nearly 50% is in China. By 2025, the cumulative installed capacity of floating photovoltaic systems worldwide will exceed 10 gigawatts.
Floating photovoltaic industry enterprise pattern
1. Overall pattern
The global floating photovoltaic system has formed a pattern of multipolar competition, head concentration, and regional deep cultivation, with participating enterprises covering modules, and floating bodies. EPC operates the entire industry chain, with Asia Pacific and European enterprises dominating. Among them, Chinese companies such as Sunshine Power, Northman Energy, and Tongjing New Energy have become the core force in promoting the large-scale landing of global water photovoltaics with mature system solutions, stable project delivery capabilities, and a global service network. They have strong competitiveness and high visibility in the global market, supporting the rapid growth of the industry.
2. Enterprise Layout
The floating photovoltaic industry in China has formed a competitive pattern of leading and global expansion, with leading enterprises having taken a dominant position in the domestic market with their one-stop system solution capabilities and experience in large-scale projects. At the same time, they actively promote global expansion and have extended their business to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and other regions. Some enterprises have formed unique competitive advantages and high visibility through continuous technological cultivation and scene adaptation capabilities.
According to publicly disclosed information, the price of floating brackets for Chinese enterprises ranges from 0.1/Wp to 2.1/Wp, and there is a significant price difference among different enterprise products.
Competitive Trends in the Floating Photovoltaic Industry
Looking ahead to the future, on the one hand, floating photovoltaic systems are accelerating their deep integration with scenarios such as water solar complementarity, fishing solar complementarity, salt solar complementarity, and animal husbandry solar complementarity. They are evolving from a single power generation function to a composite model of "energy production+ ecological breeding+ comprehensive resource utilization".
The scale and complexity of projects continue to increase, which puts higher demands on enterprises. Enterprises will transform into comprehensive energy service providers. On the other hand, with the rapid expansion of the global floating photovoltaic market, environmental protection, safety, and durability standards for floating photovoltaics are gradually improving worldwide. Enterprises with compliance certifications and technology patents will gain a larger market share. In addition, Chinese companies continue to gain a stronger voice in the global surface photovoltaic market due to their cost and technological advantages, while facing challenges from international manufacturers and trade barriers. Localized operations and technological innovation have become key. Enterprises need to strengthen their core patent layout and participation in international standards, and build a moat with technological differentiation advantages.
