As the global energy transition continues to advance, solar photovoltaic and energy storage systems have gradually moved beyond the early stage of market-driven exploration and entered a development phase primarily driven by government leadership and policy support. In renewable energy demonstration projects, grid-side energy storage, public buildings, and solar-plus-storage projects in industrial and commercial parks, an increasingly clear trend has emerged—government solar and energy storage projects tend to favor suppliers with in-house manufacturing capabilities, namely factory-based suppliers.
This trend is neither accidental nor the result of a simple “preference.” Instead, it is shaped by the funding nature of government projects, their operational objectives, risk control requirements, and long-term public responsibility.
Compared with ordinary commercial projects, government-led or government-participated solar and energy storage projects have distinct characteristics:
Use of public fiscal funds or policy-driven capital
Long operational lifecycles, typically planned for 10–20 years
Project outcomes directly related to energy security, carbon reduction targets, and public interest
Therefore, the primary focus of government projects is not short-term delivery cost, but rather:
Whether the system can operate stably over the long term
Whether equipment supply and maintenance can be sustainably guaranteed
Whether the supplier is capable of assuming long-term responsibility
Under this logic, factory-based suppliers with stable manufacturing foundations, continuous production capacity, and complete quality management systems are better aligned with the fundamental requirements of long-term reliability in government projects.
Government solar and energy storage projects are usually tied to clear policy and administrative milestones, such as:
Subsidy or fiscal funding application timelines
Grid-connection acceptance and audit milestones
Phased construction and acceptance requirements
Any delays caused by unstable equipment supply may directly affect project compliance, fiscal disbursement, or even project legitimacy.
Factory-based suppliers typically possess:
Controllable production planning and capacity allocation
Stable core material and supply chain systems
Mass-production and standardized delivery capabilities
Compared with supply models relying on external sourcing or multi-level subcontracting, factory-based suppliers present significantly lower delivery risks in government projects.
Most government solar and energy storage projects are not one-time constructions, but rather involve:
Phased implementation
Replication across multiple regions
Subsequent capacity expansion or system upgrades
In this context, government projects place greater emphasis on:
Long-term consistency of product models and technical routes
Continued availability of the same product series years later
Compatibility between new and existing systems
Factory-based suppliers with long-term manufacturing capabilities hold clear advantages in continuous supply and system scalability.
Government solar and energy storage projects usually explicitly require equipment to:
Comply with national or international standards (such as IEC, CE, UL, etc.)
Meet local grid, fire safety, and electrical regulations
Provide complete and auditable technical and test documentation
These requirements go beyond merely “providing certificates” and instead require that:
Products are designed in accordance with standards from the outset
Manufacturing processes consistently maintain certification conformity
Mass-produced products remain consistent with certified samples
This type of systematic compliance capability represents a core strength of factory-based suppliers.
During government project acceptance and audits, key evaluation points include:
Whether performance remains stable and consistent across different production batches
Whether quality fluctuations arise from subcontracting or material substitutions
Whether a complete product traceability system is in place
Standardized production and rigorous quality control systems enable factory-based suppliers to better meet government requirements for consistency and traceability.
The evaluation scope of government solar and energy storage projects typically includes:
Overall operational performance of photovoltaic and energy storage systems
Coordination between grid connection, energy storage, control, and protection
System stability under long-term operation and complex environmental conditions
Factory-based suppliers with system R&D and manufacturing capabilities can provide higher certainty in areas such as:
System-level matching between PV inverters and energy storage inverters
Deep integration of lithium battery energy storage systems and BMS
Complete system protection logic and operating strategies
These capabilities are particularly critical for government projects.
Government projects generally require clearly defined responsibility entities. When system issues arise, it is essential to:
Rapidly identify the source of the problem
Clearly define responsibility attribution
Provide continuous improvement and technical support
Because factory-based suppliers control core design and manufacturing processes, they offer greater controllability in responsibility definition and issue resolution, aligning well with government project management logic.
During project initiation and tender evaluation, governments typically assess:
Whether the enterprise owns physical manufacturing facilities and fixed assets
Whether it has stable operations and sustained investment capacity
Whether it can continue to fulfill service responsibilities many years later
This is because government projects focus not only on project completion, but also on long-term operational risk control.
Throughout the lifecycle of solar and energy storage systems, requirements often include:
System capacity expansion or upgrades
Control strategy and software adjustments
Spare parts replacement and compatibility support
Factory-based suppliers, with control over underlying product design and manufacturing, possess stronger technical continuity advantages over long-term operation.
As the solar and energy storage industry matures, government project evaluation standards are evolving:
From single-factor price orientation
Toward system quality and long-term operational performance
With greater emphasis on public fund efficiency and risk control
Under this trend, government projects increasingly focus on:
Manufacturing capability
System integration capability
Compliance and certification capability
Long-term delivery and service capability
These dimensions collectively constitute the core competitiveness of factory-based suppliers.
Conclusion: Government Preference for Factory-Based Suppliers Is a Rational, Long-Term Value Judgment
The tendency of government solar and energy storage projects to favor factory-based suppliers is not a preference for a specific business model, but a rational decision based on:
Public fund security
Long-term stable project operation
Controllable system risk
