Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-05-14 Origin: Site
Solar mounts are the foundational support of photovoltaic power stations, enduring long-term exposure to wind, rain, ultraviolet radiation, salt fog and other harsh outdoor environmental factors. Corrosion is the primary cause of solar bracket structural failure, which will lead to bracket deformation, component displacement, and even safety accidents of solar power systems. Therefore, selecting a high-quality anti-corrosion coating is crucial to prolong the service life of solar mounts and reduce post-operation and maintenance costs.
Hot dip galvanizing is a mature metal anti-corrosion process with a development history of more than 100 years. The production process is to immerse polished carbon steel brackets into high-temperature molten zinc liquid (about 450℃). Through metallurgical reaction, a dense zinc coating is formed on the steel surface. The coating thickness of HDG solar mounts is generally controlled between 60-120μm, which forms a physical barrier and electrochemical protection for the steel substrate.
Al-Zn alloy coating is an upgraded high-performance anti-corrosion technology, also known as galvalume coating. The coating is composed of 55% aluminum, 43.5% zinc and 1.5% silicon. The manufacturing process adopts continuous hot-dip plating to form a uniform alloy protective layer on the steel surface, with a conventional coating thickness of 40-80μm.
Aluminum in the alloy coating provides excellent physical isolation protection, while zinc offers electrochemical anti-rust performance. Silicon can enhance coating compactness and adhesion. This composite structure makes up for the performance defects of single zinc coating and is an advanced coating favored by high-end solar projects.
Corrosion resistance is the core evaluation index of solar mount coatings. In neutral atmospheric environments such as inland plains and dry areas, both HDG and Al-Zn coatings can provide stable anti-corrosion protection with negligible performance difference.
The lifespan of solar mounts directly determines the overall return cycle of photovoltaic projects. Under standard inland atmospheric conditions, the service life of hot dip galvanized solar brackets is 20-25 years. In coastal or industrial harsh environments, the lifespan will be shortened to 12-18 years.
In terms of initial manufacturing cost, hot dip galvanizing has lower raw material and processing costs. The unit price of HDG solar mounts is 8%-15% lower than that of Al-Zn coated products, which is more suitable for cost-sensitive large-scale ordinary photovoltaic projects.
Although the one-time procurement cost of Al-Zn coating is higher, it has ultra-low maintenance frequency. It does not need regular paint repair and rust removal in the whole life cycle. Calculated from the perspective of whole life cycle cost, Al-Zn coated solar mounts have higher cost performance, especially for long-term operated commercial photovoltaic power stations.
Inland ordinary environment: Dry inland plains, mountainous areas and non-polluted rural areas with low air humidity and no salt fog erosion.
Cost-limited projects: Small and medium-sized civil distributed photovoltaic power stations with tight budget and short investment return cycle.
Heavy-load ground mounts: Large ground photovoltaic power stations with thick steel pipes and high load-bearing requirements, making full use of HDG's strong wear resistance.
Harsh corrosive environments: Coastal tidal flat power stations, industrial park photovoltaic projects and high rainfall humid areas.
High-standard commercial projects: Large-scale centralized photovoltaic power stations and rooftop solar projects requiring long-term zero maintenance.
Beautiful appearance required scenarios: Commercial building rooftop solar systems with high requirements for bracket appearance and overall aesthetic.
First, prioritize the regional environmental characteristics. For inland non-corrosive areas, hot dip galvanizing is the most cost-effective choice; for coastal, saline-alkali and industrial pollution areas, Al-Zn coating is a must to avoid premature rust failure.
Second, balance budget and service life. If the project pursues low initial investment and has regular maintenance conditions, choose HDG brackets; if it is a long-term investment project pursuing low maintenance rate, Al-Zn coating is more worthy of recommendation.
There is no absolute good or bad between hot dip galvanizing and Al-Zn coating for solar mounts, only suitability differences. HDG is a mature and economical anti-corrosion solution, suitable for conventional inland solar projects with limited budget. Al-Zn coating, as an upgraded anti-corrosion technology, has outstanding performance in corrosion resistance, lifespan and appearance, and is the preferred choice for harsh environment and high-end photovoltaic projects.
