17 YEARS IN SOLAR | DCE SOLAR

Built to Last: How DCE Solar Grew From a Racking Company to a Renewable Energy Force

Seventeen years is a long time in any industry. In solar, it is a lifetime. DCE Solar was founded in 2009, before residential panels were mainstream, before utility-scale trackers were ubiquitous, and before most companies had even heard of RE+. What started as a ground mount racking company has evolved into a vertically integrated solar solutions provider with a design arm, an installation company, a tracker partnership, and a national No. 1 ranking to its name. Here is how it happened.

The Early Foundation: Racking, Rooftops, and Roots (2009-2017)

DCE Solar launched in 2009 with a clear focus: deliver reliable racking solutions. The following year, the company expanded its product line to include rooftop racking, alongside ground mount solutions, broadening its addressable market before the decade turned.

For the next several years, DCE quietly built the kind of operational foundation that might not make headlines but absolutely determines longevity. Strong engineering practices, trusted contractor relationships, and a product line that worked. By 2017, the company had established itself as a credible, growing player in the racking space.

The Gigawatt Milestone: Year Nine (2018)

In 2018, DCE Solar achieved 1 gigawatt of installed capacity. To put it in perspective: a single gigawatt powers roughly 750,000 homes. It was a tangible proof point that the company had not just survived its first decade, it had scaled. The milestone validated the product quality and the contractor trust DCE had built year over year.

Amplification: Services, Records, and Growth (2019-2023)

2019 was the year DCE stopped being just a product company. DCE Services launched as the company's dedicated installation arm, giving DCE direct control over project execution from product to commissioning. The Services team immediately put that capability on display:

• The Eco-Top rooftop racking model was utilized on what was, at the time, the largest commercial rooftop solar installation in New Jersey.

• DCE Services handled the installation from start to finish.

By 2022, DCE Solar earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies and began exhibiting at RE+, the solar industry's flagship trade show. That same momentum continued into 2023, when DCE Services earned its first placement on Solar Power World's Top Solar Contractors list, a peer-recognized benchmark for contractor excellence.

Product Leadership: Innovation That Earns Recognition (2024)

2024 was a standout product year. DCE introduced the Long Span S7, a ground mount racking system designed exclusively for First Solar Series 7 modules, addressing a specific and growing market need with precision engineering rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

That same year, the Eco-Top rooftop racking system achieved UL 3741 certification, the industry standard for photovoltaic hazard control. For contractors and EPCs specifying rooftop solutions, it removed a critical compliance checkpoint from the conversation.

Sweet Sixteen: Design, Tracking, and a National No. 1 (2025)

DCE marked its 16th year with three moves that defined the direction of the business:

• DCE Design launched, adding a dedicated electrical design capability to the DCE family.

• A strategic partnership with Axial Structural Solutions was formed to bring a tracker solution to the U.S. utility-scale market, expanding DCE's product reach into one of the fastest-growing segments in commercial and utility solar.

• DCE Services was named the No. 1 Commercial Ground Mount Installer in the U.S. by Solar Power World's Top Solar Contractors, the industry's most recognized contractor ranking.

Year 17: The First Tracker in the Ground (2026)

2026 opened with a milestone that connects everything: DCE successfully installed its first tracker project in upstate New York. The tracker initiative is now installed and proving that DCE's expansion into tracking is not a roadmap item. It is a reality.

What 17 Years Actually Means

Companies do not survive 17 years in a market as competitive and capital-intensive as solar by accident. They survive by building products that work, by expanding deliberately rather than reactively, and by earning trust with the contractors and customers who stake their own reputations on the solutions.

DCE's record across those 17 years tells that story:

• 1 GW installed by year nine

• Inc. 5000 recognition in 2022

• No. 1 Commercial Ground Mount Installer recognition in 2025

• A first tracker installation in the ground in 2026 and growing

Year 17 is not a finish line. For DCE Solar, it is proof of concept for year 27.