How to Choose the Correct Aluminum for Solar Mounting System?

To solve this question, it leads to the comparasion for aluminum.

Both 6063-T6 and 6005-T5 are aluminum alloys and are widely used in solar structures. The average alloy composition for both are very similar.

Now let’s see how to achieve both material to it’s standard:

T5:solution high-temperature forming + artificial aging. It is cooled by a high-temperature molding process and then subjected to a plastic aging state.

T6:solution heat treatment + artificial aging. After the solution heat treatment, the state of artificial aging is performed.

T66:solution heat-treated and artificially aged, with additional process control to yield more favourable properties.

From the above differences you will find that 6005-T5 aluminum extrusion alloy for solar rails, solar clamps, or other solar mounting accessories are very identically to 6063-T66. The performance is even better.

When it’s so similar aluminum, how to choose when it’s applied for outdoor solar installation for rooftop mounting and ground mounting?

Well, in solar industry most used is 6005-T5.

But some customers do prefer 6063-T66 because it was popular for the start stage of mounting structure developers comes from the manufacturer who used to produced windows, doors with 6063 alloy.

Some customer may ask, if the 6065-T5 aluminum’s performance is slightly better, does it makes solar bracket made from 6005-T5 more expensive?

The price is actually the same with 2 reasons.

The most important is that their composition are very alike hence the material cost similar.

Also, in a bigger picture 6063 are more popular than 6005, because 6005 material are mostly used for solar panel support while 6063 are used for many areas.So for solar mounting system manufacturer like XIAMEN HQ MOUNT TECH CO.,LTD, we buy more 6005 materials than 6063.The bigger the volume we bought for solar system, the better price. If in the future solar system outnumbered other aluminum usage, the price maybe better.

HQ Mount is a very professional solar mounting supplierwith over a decade experience, for most of the questions you have regarding solar history, solar design or solar installation, we can offer solutions.