Solar tracker manufacturers step up with 100% domestic content, safe harbor options
The 100% domestic content solar tracker market is filling up. Since Nextracker claimed the “first” in December 2024, several other tracker manufacturers have filled the final supply chain gaps—sourcing actuators, drives, and controllers domestically—to launch their own 100% domestic content solar tracker solutions. Others are also promoting safe harbor strategies in preparation for the upcoming change to “construction start” language. Here’s a recap of recent announcements.
Domestic Content Table for Ground-Mount Trackers
For reference, here is a breakdown of the “First Updated Elective Safe Harbor” domestic content percentages from Treasury Notice 2025-08 for Ground-Mount Trackers, modified Notice 2024-41. The column on the right is that original New Elective Safe Harbor for comparison’s sake.
OMCO Solar now shipping 100% U.S. made trackers
Solar racking manufacturer OMCO Solar is now offering a 100% U.S.-made solar tracker system. With the delivery of Kinematics’ American-made drives and motors, OMCO’s fully domestic tracker solution is officially being deployed to project sites nationwide.
“OMCO has historically been a leader in solar domestic manufacturing and this achievement, working in conjunction with our partners at Kinematics, is a milestone for our team,” says Eric Goodwin, VP of Business Development. “The timing of this also allows OMCO Solar’s Phoenix, AZ Headquarters, one of five OMCO manufacturing plants in the US. OMCO to deliver for our customers immediately in the aftermath of the OBBB passage and the compressed schedule requirements to ensure tax credits for projects are secured.”
OMCO Solar is the solar division of OMCO Holdings, which has more than 70 years of American manufacturing experience, and has manufactured components for solar systems for decades. Combining the OMCO U.S. manufacturing footprint (five plants) with Kinematics’ U.S. volume adds up to 13 GW annual capacity. To date, OMCO Solar has delivered over 12 GW of factory-direct solar mounting structures within the US.
Terrasmart brings ground screws in house
Terrasmart’s domestic ground screws for solar racking foundations, which have historically been manufactured at outside companies, will now be produced at Terrasmart’s manufacturing facility in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“Moving domestic ground screw production in-house streamlines our supply chain, maximizing availability for qualifying solar projects to meet domestic content thresholds to benefit our customers, the solar industry, and the wider U.S. economy,” says Ed McKiernan, President, Terrasmart.
Currently, Terrasmart’s ground screw manufacturing capacity is on track to sustain nearly 500 MWs of new PV projects. The new production line consists of twelve work stations, an induction heater, forge, plasma cutter, stamping press, three-hole punch and set nut welder, and six helical welders. The facility will also add three different sizes of ground screws to its list. To empower its team members, Terrasmart trained and upskilled the ground screw assembly line team in five new skill sets.
Nextracker solidifies 100% domestic content to start 2025
As mentioned, back in December 2024, Nextracker announced it shipped and delivered what they believed to be “the first U.S.-manufactured solar trackers expected to achieve 100% domestic content value.” These were delivered to SB Energy’s Pelican’s Jaw project, 570 MW solar and 954 MWh storage project under construction by SOLV Energy.
Together with its manufacturing partners, Nextracker has now expanded or opened more than 25 U.S. factories with over 30 GW of annual capacity.
“By systematically focusing our manufacturing partnerships close to our customer project sites, we secure the supply chain and provide superior on-time delivery and cost savings for project development and construction,” stated Dan Shugar, Nextracker founder and CEO. “We also significantly de-carbonize our products by incorporating clean steel manufactured in the United States.”
ARRAY set to deliver 100% domestic content trackers to Indiana project
The 200 MWac Emerald Green Solar project in Indiana being developed by ENGIE North America (ENGIE) will be with a domestic content ARRAY OmniTrack tracker. Deliveries of the trackers are expected to begin in Q3 2025.
ARRAY Technologies says the trackers meet 100% of the domestic content Assigned Cost Percentage (ACP) under the U.S. Treasury Department’s latest guidance (Notice 2025-08) issued in January 2025. To validate full compliance with federal guidelines, ARRAY partnered with a third-party tax and advisory firm to analyze its manufacturing processes and supply chain. It enables developers to qualify for the maximum 28.7% ACP, which includes the 9.4% production ACP available exclusively for projects using trackers with only domestic content manufactured product components.
“The fact that the steel used in ENGIE’s largest energy project in Indiana will include torque tube and steel rolled locally in the state and installed by some of the more than 250 construction workers that will build the project really reflects the local nature of renewable energy production in the U.S.” said David Carroll, Chief Renewables Officer and Senior Vice President at ENGIE North America
GameChange and FTC promote module-agnostic safe harbor strategies
Following the passage of the OBBB, the upcoming changes to the definition of “construction start” will have a big impact on tax credit eligibility. Both GameChange Solar and FTC Solar are emphasizing the importance of designing projects with module flexibility to accommodate potential future module changes, and thus promoting their torque tubes.
GameChange Solar’s Genius Tracker system has unpunched torque tubes, low-profile bearings, and SpeedClamps or flexible purlins to accommodate changes in module dimensions or mounting hole patterns without requiring costly field rework. In addition, in January, GameChange Solar, announced six more tracker torque tube factory partners across the United States, with a combined annual production capacity exceeding 35 GW.
FTC Solar’s 1P “Pioneer” trackers utilize universal torque tubes with innovative Python Clip rail designs, which eliminate the need to puncture torque tubes and accommodate any variation in module form factor, giving developers and EPCs ultimate flexibility for module changes late in the design process.
“FTC Solar’s products are not just safe harbor eligible – they are optimized for safe harbor,” said Yann Brandt, CEO of FTC Solar. “Whether developers pursue a hard money investment or an early works construction start, FTC Solar is ready to support with proven tracker technology, engineering expertise, and domestic capacity.”
In terms of 100% domestic content tracker, FTC Solar says it is rapidly scaling a domestic supply chain, and will begin taking orders starting in Q4 2025.
