Nextpower announced its second major commercial order for U.S.-manufactured steel module frames, entering into a multi-year supply agreement with Jinko Solar (U.S.) Industries Inc. Under the agreement, Nextpower plans to supply more than one gigawatt (GW) of steel frames, scalable to up to 3GW over a three-year period, to support module manufacturing in Jinko Solar's Jacksonville, Fla. facility, with production expected 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, U.S.-made steel frames add six% 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 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.
Industry-wide reliability data is increasingly shaping procurement decisions for utility-scale solar projects. Independent testing has demonstrated the structural advantages of steel frames, including improved torsional stiffness and reduced deflection under mechanical load--key factors in supporting long-term module reliability.
