Many new customers do not know too much about how to select material of Solar brackets, resulting in the unadaptability of the scheme and inefficiency, below I will introduce you to the advantages and disadvantages between steel and aluminum solar mounting.

①Steel and aluminum strength

The solar mounting material generally adopts Q235B steel and aluminum alloy extruded profile 6005-T5, in terms of strength, 6005-T5 aluminum alloy is about 68%-69% of Q235B steel, so generally in strong wind areas, Solar mounting rail span is relatively large and other situations , steel is better than aluminum alloy profile. In the other words, steel is better for utility project.

②Deflection deformation

Under the same conditions, the deformation of aluminum alloy profile is 2.9 times that of steel, the weight is 35% of steel, and the cost is 3 times that of steel under the same weight. Therefore, generally in strong wind areas, solar mounting rail span is relatively large, considering cost and other conditions steel is better choice.

③Anti-corrosion aspects

Aluminum alloy in the standard atmospheric environment, in the passivation zone, its surface forms a dense oxide film, hindering the surface of the activated aluminum matrix from contacting the surrounding atmosphere, so it has very good corrosion resistance, and the corrosion rate decreases with the extension of time.

In the standard environment, the galvanized thickness of 80μm can be guaranteed to be used for more than 20 years, but in high-humidity industrial areas or high-salinity coastal or even temperate seawater, the corrosion rate is accelerated, and the galvanizing thickness usually needs to reach more than 100μm and requires regular maintenance every year.

④Surface treatment comparison

There are many surface treatment methods for aluminum alloy profiles, such as anodizing, chemical polishing, etc. Beautiful appearance and can adapt to a variety of strong corrosive environments. Steel generally adopts hot-dip galvanizing, surface spraying, paint coating and other methods. The appearance is worse than that of aluminum alloy profiles, and it is also inferior to aluminum profiles in terms of corrosion resistance.

In comprehensive comparison, aluminum is light in weight and strong in corrosion resistance, and it is better to use aluminum alloy as a bracket for rooftop power stations with load-bearing requirements/corrosive environment/chemical plant power stations. Steel has high strength and small deflection deformation when bearing load, generally used for relatively large parts in hand, and is more suitable for solar bracket power stations with large winds and span requirements.

All in one sentence, for small solar project, choose Aluminum mounting system, easy and quick to install and to save labor cost. For utility solar power project, choose Steel mounting system, designed and manufactured according to project requirements.

CHIKO SOLAR has been deeply involved in the Solar mounting market for 16 years, we are  manufactory, we export by self , we have technical team, also have a number of international certifications. Welcome more solar mounting or OEM solar bracket question consulted us !   please feel free to contact us!