Is the solar panel frame made of aluminum or steel? Which one is good?

Is the solar panel frame made of aluminum or steel? Aluminum frames are the mainstream, and the demand for cost reduction is driving the rapid development of new types of frames. Aluminum frames have always been the mainstream of photovoltaic frames due to their excellent performance such as high strength, strong firmness, and good conductivity.

Aluminum alloy materials occupy a dominant position in the market due to their excellent properties such as high strength, strong firmness, good conductivity, corrosion and oxidation resistance, strong tensile strength, convenient transportation and installation, and easy recycling. Currently, the penetration rate of aluminum alloy frames is over 95%. However, due to the high energy consumption and carbon emissions of primary aluminum, companies may have rigid constraints on using green electricity.

Steel frame: Steel frame has a certain cost advantage. Taking the steel frame produced by Huishan as an example, the cost of steel frame is reduced by at least 20-30% compared to aluminum frame. In addition, Huishan steel frame optimizes the thickness of the main material of the frame to 0.6mm, allowing it to maximize the mechanical properties of steel while improving its tear resistance by more than 30% compared to traditional aluminum frame.

This greatly improves the overall strength of the component and can adapt well to the popular large or super large version components on the market. However, due to the high precision and requirements of the steel frame processing technology, the corrosion resistance performance is poor, and actual shipments are still relatively few.

Rubber frame (buckle short frame): It has strong load-bearing capacity, insertion and extraction force, and good reliability. Taking the snap short frame produced by Haida Co., Ltd. as an example, compared to traditional aluminum profile frames, snap short frames can significantly reduce the amount of aluminum profiles used, without the need for gluing and glue curing process.

They have strong load-bearing capacity, insertion and extraction capacity, more convenient installation, lower packaging and transportation costs, and good reliability. They can be applied to centralized and distributed photovoltaic power plant projects, including distributed photovoltaic power plants using flexible components.

Composite frame: It has strong tensile strength and high corrosion resistance. Polyurethane composite materials have excellent mechanical properties, and their axial tensile strength is more than 7 times that of traditional aluminum alloy materials. At the same time, it also has strong resistance to salt spray and chemical corrosion. For solar modules installed in high humidity areas, such as coastal and offshore electric fields, corrosion resistance is particularly important and crucial to ensuring long-term outdoor operation.

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