Global solar markets are entering another period of consolidation, with weaker demand, falling installations, and continued pressure on manufacturers, according to JinkoSolar’s Frank Niendorf. Despite the downturn, the Chinese manufacturer is expanding its integrated energy solutions strategy, investing in storage, new module technologies, and long-term innovation.
The global solar industry is entering another challenging period, with photovoltaic installations expected to decline this year and potentially remain flat in 2027, according to Frank Niendorf, Vice President at JinkoSolar. In response, the company is placing greater emphasis on integrated energy solutions and accelerating the expansion of its energy storage business.
“We are in the third consecutive year of consolidation in the solar industry,” Niendorf told pv magazine in an interview at The smarter E Europe in Munich, noting that, although all photovoltaic manufacturers continue to report losses, the major players remain active in the market.
Last year, Niendorf predicted that the substantial losses many module manufacturers had suffered in the recent past would force some companies out of the market. “A market shakeout is taking place,” says Niendorf, particularly with regard to the efforts of China’s central government to remove production capacity from the market. “However, provincial governments are providing massive support to the manufacturers in their regions.”
