Nextpower To Supply 1–3 GW Steel Frames to Jinko Solar’s US Facility

Nextpower (formerly Nextracker), which has evolved into a power generation technology and solutions provider for solar plants, has secured its second major commercial order for the United States (US)-manufactured steel module frames. In a press release, Nextpower announced a multi-year supply agreement with Jinko Solar (US) Industries Inc., one of the longest-operating solar module manufacturers in the United States.

Under the agreement, Nextpower plans to supply more than 1 Gigawatt (GW) of steel frames, scalable to up to 3 GW over three years, to support module manufacturing at Jinko Solar’s Jacksonville, Florida facility, with production expected in mid-2026.  

This supply arrangement helps underscore the growing market adoption of steel frames as a more structurally durable, cost-effective solution for tier-one solar modules while further localizing the U.S. supply chain. For developers, US-made steel frames add six percent to a tracker project’s domestic content calculation, according to U.S. Treasury Department guidance.

To simplify project logistics and reinforce the domestic supply chain, Nextpower plans to further expand its steel frame manufacturing capacity presence in the Southeastern United States to enable direct supply to the Jinko Solar U.S. facility in Jacksonville. This strategy follows Nextpower’s recent expansion of its steel component manufacturing capacity in Memphis – one of more than 25 U.S. factories Nextpower has opened or expanded since 2021.

Leadership View

“This agreement with Jinko Solar represents clear market validation of steel frames as a reliable and cost-effective solution that supports both module durability and U.S. manufacturing priorities,” said Dan Shugar, founder and CEO of Nextpower. “It also reinforces how the U.S. solar industry is industrializing, aligning domestic manufacturing, policy incentives, and proven technology at gigawatt scale.”

“Improving module durability and strengthening domestic supply chains are closely linked priorities and areas where Jinko Solar has long been a leader,” said Nigel Cockroft, General Manager at Jinko Solar (U.S.) Industries Inc. “From our fourth generation extreme weather module platform to our Jacksonville facility, which has operated since 2018, we have consistently invested ahead of the market. Partnering with Nextpower to integrate domestically produced steel frames into our U.S. modules is a natural extension of that leadership, aligning with U.S. manufacturing priorities, while delivering greater durability at scale for customers and the broader solar industry.”