What are the benefits of using composite materials for PV frames?

Using composite materials (such as fiberglass-reinforced polyurethane) for photovoltaic (PV) frames offers comprehensive advantages, primarily in four areas: cost reduction, enhanced performance, safety & reliability, and environmental sustainability. This brings significant value to the solar industry.

Significant economic benefits

● Lower material costs– Composites are about 20–25%(or even up to 30%) cheaper than traditional aluminum frames, helping to mitigate the impact of volatile aluminum prices.

● Savings in transport and installation– Composite frames are 20–30% lighterthan aluminum, making them easier to handle, reducing logistics costs, and lowering the load-bearing requirements for mounting structures.

● Reduced system costs– Because composites are non-conductive, no additional grounding is needed after installation, eliminating the cost of grounding hardware and related maintenance.

Superior physical properties

● Higher strength and durability– The axial tensile strength of composites is 5–7 times that of aluminum, providing much better resistance to wind and snow loads.

● Excellent weather and corrosion resistance– Composites far outperform aluminum in resisting salt spray, acids, alkalis, and other chemicals. They remain stable in harsh environments like high humidity and high salinity, making them particularly suitable for offshore PVand tidal flat power stations.

● Outstanding electrical insulation– As insulators, composites eliminate the risk of leakage currentsand prevent potential-induced degradation (PID), ensuring stable and efficient power generation.

● Protection for solar cells– The coefficient of thermal expansion of composites is very close to that of glass. Under extreme temperature changes, composite frames are less likely to squeeze and damage the cells.

● Improved power generation efficiency– With low thermal conductivity, some tests show that modules with composite frames operate at lower temperatures, which can have a positive impact on energy yield.

Notable environmental value

● Drastically lower carbon footprint– Producing composites consumes far less energy than primary aluminum. The product carbon footprint of composite frames can be reduced by up to 85%compared to traditional aluminum frames, aligning well with global carbon neutrality goals.

● Recyclability– Advanced composite frames are designed to be recycled through mechanical or chemical processes, enabling resource reuse.

Conclusion and outlook

Taken together, the fundamental advantage of using composite frames is that they address key pain points in the solar industry—cost, performance, safety, and sustainability—all at once. This makes them highly attractive for a wide range of applications, including offshore PV, desert power plants, rooftop installations, and BIPV.

Reliable, high-volume production of composite frames depends on stable and precise pultrusion equipment. Guanjiao Machineryspecializes in R&D and manufacturing of resin injection machines for epoxy/polyurethane pultrusion profiles, providing core equipment for PV composite frame production lines.