Solar Power World

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The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) has released the results of a study that confirms the material and economic advantages of using extruded aluminum for solar structural framing applications. Material, fabrication, transportation, and field assembly costs were estimated and vetted for use in the study.

The report, Manufacturing and Lifecycle Cost Analysis for Aluminum Solar Structures by IBIS Associates, proves that there are compelling technical and economic reasons to consider and use extrusions for parabolic trough and other structural applications. “Approximately 30% of the worldwide CSP parabolic trough installations use aluminum extrusion, but there are still many companies that do not fully understand why extrusions are so ideally suited to this application,” said Craig Werner, President of Werner Extrusion Solutions LLC in Lake Forest, Illinois and leader of the AEC Solar Market Development Team. “This study demonstrates how the use of aluminum extrusions provides a competitive advantage in these solar applications from a long-term strategic material viewpoint.”

The installation and operation of the Nevada Solar One Concentrated Solar Power facility in Boulder City confirmed the technical and commercial worth of utilizing aluminum extrusions as the key structural component for the parabolic mirror framing systems. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) testing and operational results have proven the optical efficiencies and low ongoing maintenance costs associated with parabolic trough designs utilizing aluminum extrusions. The IBIS study provides compelling technical and economic reasons to consider and use extrusions for parabolic trough and other structural applications, whether considering long-term material pricing, current material pricing, or the comparative material prices of aluminum, steel and zinc at any time over the last two decades.

The Aluminum Extruders Council contracted with IBIS Associates, a technology research and consulting firm, to perform an independent study of aluminum and steel framing materials; this choice was based on their extensive, internationally recognized and referenced work on the value of aluminum in transportation applications. IBIS created parts and material processing models for the aluminum extruded and galvanized steel frame designs—detailing components, materials and processes, and modeling the costs associated with these elements. Steel costs less than aluminum on a dollar-per-pound basis; however aluminum is approximately one-third the weight of steel. “This study just confirms what the aluminum extrusion industry already knows. Designing with aluminum extrusions is the better choice for this and countless other applications,” said Werner. “Using aluminum extrusions for the frame structure provides cost and performance benefits that far outstrip the pure material cost difference.”

Aluminum extrusions offer lower production costs than other processes, increase energy efficiency, create more eco-friendly and recyclable products, and enable green technologies such as solar applications to flourish. Components made of extruded aluminum support advanced technologies and drive innovations forward in environmentally responsible ways. Aluminum extrusions offer inherent corrosion resistance, lighter weight for lower shipping costs compared to heavier materials, designer-friendly options for faster and easier on-site assembly, and quick prototype and production times.

Aluminum Extrusions are Better for Solar Frames and Mounting Systems