Facing solar overcapacity and margin pressure, the sector is consolidating and diversifying into storage, while inverter makers confront regulatory shifts on local content and cybersecurity in Europe and the US.

Tier 1 qualification hinges on market presence, production capacity, geographic diversification, financial performance, and sustainability, with suppliers needing thresholds across most categories and to represent the largest global shipments or installations in their segments.

Notable Tier 1 inverter suppliers for 2026 include Enphase Energy, Huawei, SMA Solar Technology, SolarEdge, Sungrow, and TBEA Sunoasis, among others.

S&P Global Energy releases its 2026 Tier 1 Cleantech Companies list, recognizing leading solar, PV inverters, wind, battery energy storage systems, and for the first time battery cells, using expanded criteria that weigh market leadership, sustainability, and financial resilience.

Market context shows solar installations likely to dip in 2026 before modest growth, battery storage deployment to rise rapidly to meet grid needs, and wind installations growing more slowly.

The 2026 PV module list features 15 suppliers such as Canadian Solar, First Solar, JinkoSolar, LONGi, Trina Solar, with the first-ever inclusion of an Indian manufacturer.

The methodology combines CSA with S&P Global Market Intelligence’s RiskGauge to assess financial resilience, sustainability, and market position by incorporating credit risk analysis.

The 2026 edition identifies 15 PV module suppliers, 12 inverter manufacturers, 10 wind turbine suppliers, 12 energy storage system providers, and 10 battery cell manufacturers, framed as a classification framework rather than a ranking or investment advice.

CSA evaluates 62 industries on about 23 sustainability topics via 110 questions, scoring 0–100 and providing percentile rankings for financially relevant sustainability criteria.

The report highlights rising storage demand attracting new entrants and strong utilization among established battery manufacturers, signaling a more integrated and diversified clean energy supply chain.

The inaugural battery cell Tier 1 list spotlights BYD, CATL, LG Energy Solution, EVE Energy, Gotion High-tech, CALB, and Xiamen Hithium Energy Storage Technology, among others.

The energy storage system Tier 1 list includes BYD, CATL, Envision Group, Fluence Energy, LG Energy Solution, and Tesla Energy, among others.