Energy in buildings: Value chain

From Chinese inverter giants to India's rooftop solar push

From Chinese inverter giants to India's rooftop solar push What this tab covers Who does what, from equipment makers to builders, owners, operators, traders and users, with the leading companies at each step.

Building energy runs from component makers (magnets, chips, glass, copper) through appliance brands and installers to households, with electricity distributors and government schemes shaping what people buy.

The chain

Components Solar inverter makers Appliance brands Installers and programmes Distribution companies and end users

Stage	What happens	Leading companies
Components	Power semiconductors, permanent magnets, solar cells and modules, lead-acid and lithium-ion cells, copper coils and glass-ceramic hob tops. In solar modules the four largest makers shipped about 58% of the 536 GW sold by the ranked suppliers in 2025.	Jinko Solar (China) LONGi (China) Trina Solar (China) JA Solar (China)¹²
Solar inverter makers	Global PV inverter shipments were 589 GW AC in 2024; Huawei shipped 176 GW and Sungrow 148 GW, together 55% of the market, and nine of the top ten are Chinese. In a separate 2025 Wood Mackenzie scorecard of manufacturers, SMA was the highest-placed firm based outside China.	Huawei (China) Sungrow (China) Ginlong Solis (China) Growatt (China) Sineng (China) SMA Solar (Germany)⁹¹³¹⁴
Appliance brands	Hobs, water heaters, fans, pumps, home UPS units and chargers sold through retail and online. The largest household appliance makers by 2023 revenue are listed in order.	Midea (China) Haier (China) Gree (China) LG Electronics (Korea) Whirlpool (United States) BSH (Germany) Electrolux (Sweden)¹⁵
Installers and programmes	Solar and water-heater installers, often working through state schemes. India's PM Surya Ghar scheme (launched February 2024) aims at 10 million homes and 30 GW of rooftop solar, with Rs 75,021 crore of support; EESL bulk-buys efficient fans.	EESL (India)³⁴
Distribution companies and end users	Households and offices pay for electricity and gas; distribution companies handle net metering for rooftop solar.

Sources

EESL unveils 5 star rated ceiling fans with BLDC technology in India Energetica India, 2022
Cabinet approves PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana Prime Minister's Office, Government of India, 2024
Global PV inverter shipments grew by 10% in 2024 to 589 GWac Wood Mackenzie, 2025
InfoLink 2025 global module shipment ranking: combined shipments reach 536 GW InfoLink Consulting, 2026
Top solar inverter shippers revealed (reporting the Wood Mackenzie 2024 top five) SolarQuotes, 2025
SMA ranks among top three global solar inverter manufacturers, according to Wood Mackenzie (company press release) SMA America, 2026
Leading household appliance manufacturers worldwide by revenue, 2023 Statista, 2024