Booming Solar Industry Drives Demand for Racking

The solar industry is booming. You’ve probably seen the large utility-scale solar fields spread across valleys and hillsides. Or you’ve had the option to add renewable energy to your electricity bill. Maybe you’ve invested in solar panels for your roof and cut your electric bill down. Any of these, and more, are indications that over the past several years, the solar industry has taken off and is rapidly growing.

At Roller Die + Forming, we make the racks and support systems that underlie many of these different types of solar infrastructures. While utility-type fields of solar panels is still a big application, we’re also making racks for roofing, car ports, and many other creative places people are placing solar panels. Roll forming is a great solution for racks because of the low piece price for each part and the tight tolerances and high level of accuracy of the parts the process produces.

Federal policies continue to encourage solar, causing utilities and individuals to invest in placing panels across the country. Since 2015, the utility, residential, and commercial solar applications have exploded growing from about 28,000 MWdc across the US to more than 121,000 MWdc or 121 Gigawatts. Prior to 2015, the cost of solar was on a steep descent, and while that path has continued to a lesser extent over the last seven years, the supply chain issues of the last few years have caused prices to remain fairly consistent.

Taking advantage of Roller Die’s multiple locations to keep shipping costs low is one way our customers manage supply chain concerns. We’re able to put together kits that go directly to the installation site with all the parts needed to assemble the solar racks, keeping transportation costs low and making it easier on our customers.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Roller Die + Forming can help with your solar racking project, reach out to a member of our sales team. We’ve been working in the solar industry since the beginning and our team has significant experience helping solar racking companies meet their unique needs.