Nextpower secures multi-year supply agreement with Jinko Solar
Nextpower has inked a multi-year deal to supply U.S.-made steel module frames to Jinko Solar (U.S.) Industries Inc., representing more than 1 GW of capacity. This is the second such major supply agreement that Nextpower has made as the company expands its steel frames manufacturing capacity in the U.S. Southeast.
Jinko Solar is one of the longest operating solar module manufacturers in the United States. Under the agreement, Nextpower plans to supply more than 1 GW of steel frames, scalable to up to 3 GW over a three-year period, to support module manufacturing in Jinko Solar’s facility in Jacksonville, Florida, with production expected by 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.
“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, GM at Jinko Solar (U.S.). “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.”
Domestic content adder
For developers, U.S.-made steel frames add 6% to a tracker project’s domestic content calculation, according to U.S. Treasury Department guidance.
“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.”
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.
Nextpower’s steel frame technology will be on display at Intersolar & Energy Storage North America, Feb. 18-20, in San Diego, at the Jinko Solar Booth No. 3017.
