NZIA: why the supply chain is becoming a selection criterion for solar projects in Europe

With the Net-Zero Industry Act, the European Union is making industrial resilience an award criterion in solar tenders. A paradigm shift that reshuffles the deck and puts European production at the heart of the game. Here is what it means, and what it concretely changes for developers and EPCs.

A framework that changes the game

The European solar PV market is no longer decided on price alone. With the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), the European Union is introducing “non-price” criteria (resilience and sustainability) into renewable energy tenders. The implementing regulation adopted in May 2025 requires every Member State, as of 30 December 2025, to apply these criteria to a significant share of auctioned capacity (at least 30%, or 6 GW per year), with a weighting of between 15% and 30% of the evaluation.

The objective is clear: to reduce Europe’s dependence on an overly concentrated supply chain. The resilience criterion is triggered when a single non-EU country supplies more than 50% of European demand for a given technology. Solar PV is directly concerned: more than 80% of its components are imported, mostly from China.

Italy, the first market to act

Italy has led the way. Its first solar tender incorporating the NZIA criteria awarded 1.1 GW to projects relying on non-Chinese components — modules, cells and inverters foremost among them. A strong signal: in this segment, the origin of the equipment is becoming a factor of eligibility and competitiveness, not just a question of cost. France and Belgium are expected to follow as the framework rolls out in each country.

For developers and EPCs, the challenge is concrete: to build projects whose supply chain is diversified and European enough to meet these criteria — and to prove it. This is precisely where the right partner makes the difference.

Ecostal Group’s answer: European engineering, through SigueSol

This is where Ecostal Group, a European player in the solar energy transition, holds a real advantage. Through its subsidiary SigueSol, the group designs, engineers and manufactures mounting structures and trackers within a European supply chain, free of Chinese components. And at every step, teams close to the field to support each project.

Two solutions illustrate this positioning:

• HelioTrack 1P, a robust single-axis tracker for utility-scale and agrivoltaic projects. Its multi-actuator architecture, wind-tunnel validated, ensures strong structural stability; its control system combines astronomical tracking with adaptive backtracking. It accommodates 18 to 120 modules per row and withstands winds of up to 180 km/h in stow position — enough to secure even the most challenging sites.
• HelioGround Flex, an all-terrain dual-post ground-mounting structure. Its tube-in-tube sliding system allows continuous height and tilt adjustment, and even compensates for differential settlement during operation — real peace of mind over time. Designed to the Eurocodes and optimised for bifacial modules, it offers a service life of more than 20 years.

In the structures and trackers segment, this European command strengthens a project’s resilience profile, just as the NZIA pushes the entire industry to diversify its sourcing.

A deeper trend, beyond a single market

Beyond Italy, the logic of the NZIA is part of a broader European trend: securing supply chains, valuing quality and durability, and reducing exposure to geopolitical and tariff uncertainties. In a market where mounting structures can represent up to 25% of the CAPEX of a ground-mounted plant, the choice of structural partner becomes strategic.

Ecostal Group intends to support this transition by combining the strength of its B2B distribution network with SigueSol’s engineering expertise — remaining, at every step, a technical and human ally for the solar energy professionals building projects that are high-performing, sustainable and aligned with the new European framework.

Are you developing solar projects in Europe and looking to secure their compliance with the NZIA criteria? Let’s talk!