DEMO — fictional range. Local brief only, NOT SENT. No personal data is collected or transmitted.
MATERIAL
Six materials, and what each one is chosen for.
Solar mounting lives outdoors for decades, so materials are chosen for corrosion resistance first and for strength second. A stronger part that corrodes is not a stronger part.
Illustrative material record
- 6063-T6 aluminium
- Rails and frames · extrudes well, anodises, adequate strength for spans
- Anodised aluminium
- Clamps and frames · the oxide layer is the corrosion protection
- Mill finish aluminium
- Rails where appearance does not matter · cheaper, weathers to a dull grey
- Stainless A2
- Fixings inland · resists corrosion, lower strength than steel
- Stainless A4
- Fixings near the coast · resists chlorides, where A2 does not
- Galvanised steel
- Ground mounts and structures · strong and cheap, heavy and needs coating
Illustrative examples for a fictional range. Material selection depends on the site, the atmosphere and the required life, and is confirmed against a specification rather than a web page.
Why the coast changes the fixing.
Because chlorides attack stainless steel grades that are perfectly adequate inland. A2 fixings on a coastal roof corrode, and the fixings are what hold the array down.
Why dissimilar metals matter here.
Because an aluminium rail bolted with a steel fixing and wetted by rain makes a small cell, and the aluminium is the part that is consumed. The washer is not a detail.