Recently, via social media, we learned that due to frequent spring gale weather, photovoltaic projects in Yunnan, Shanxi, Shandong, and other provinces have suffered damage. Piles were uprooted, components were flying up and down, and in some cases, components were even blown over or away.

Through on-site video footage and accounts from construction workers, it appears that the cause of the incident is almost entirely related to the supports, including design, construction, or material issues. The types of supports involved range from fixed, flexible, to adjustable fixed, covering various applications.

In recent years, as the construction environment for photovoltaic power stations grows increasingly complex, the support structure end has become a frequent source of accidents. In some cases, the scale of damage to a single project can reach up to 100 megawatts. Meanwhile, amidst the frequent accidents, the photovoltaic support structures are sinking into a quagmire of low-price competition. Some professionals in the field of support structures have noted that...“Landlords always hope for a further reduction, but for brackets, the same product appears to have vastly different quality due to cost variations. The difference between right and wrong can be immense, and the low-price margin is in the seemingly insignificant details.‘No Chinese content provided.’The reliability risk of photovoltaic power stations has skyrocketed, despite the emergence of solutions.”

Photovoltaic mounting brackets"Low-Cost Space"

Cost reduction and efficiency enhancement have long been the relentless pursuit of the photovoltaic industry, from components to inverters and even to photovoltaic supports across all stages.“2021-2025”Since then, according to data from the Photovoltaic Industry Association, the system costs for the entire photovoltaic power station have shown...2021Year4.15Yuan/The temperature has dropped to last year's level.3.4Yuan/Wa, it is expected to further decline this year.3.16No Chinese content provided for translation./Wa Left.

Despite this, low bidding remains an unspoken rule in tenders, which further led to prices in various industry segments breaching the bottom line. As the fierce price war in the component segment reaches its peak, the same is true for the bracket segment.

“Landowners commonly perceive solar racking as a low-tech component, yet it could be the hotspot of low-price competition within the entire solar system.”A bracket manufacturer informed Photovoltaics,“Photovoltaic mounting structures involve disciplines such as mechanics, materials science, and structural engineering, even for the most common fixed mounts.‘Doorway’For newcomers to the industry, the pursuit of rock-bottom prices masks a breach in the safety of their power station assets.”

In regards to the cost details of photovoltaic mounting systems, Photovoltaic Company has learned through the mounting system enterprise.“In terms of material, conventional photovoltaic supports generally utilizeQ355Steel, although some manufacturers may opt to reduce costsQ235Substituting, by tempering to increase hardness and elevate the yield strength to mimic alloy steel, this form of fraud is difficult to detect. However, products produced using this method will see a sharp decline in strength after three months, increasing the reliability risk for photovoltaic projects.”

“Material-related risks also exist. Zinc-aluminum-magnesium photovoltaic supports have been widely adopted in the industry, but the aluminum-magnesium content of the coating varies greatly, with the magnesium content generally should reach3%The surrounding coating components of the cut surface can continuously dissolve, forming a dense protective film to inhibit corrosion. However, some manufacturers reduce the magnesium content, even to the point of being magnesium-free, to save on the cost per ton.150Prices around RMB, but corrosion resistance significantly declines.”Stakeholder professionals pointed out that:“The difference in corrosion resistance is often not noticeable in the short term, but the potential impacts stemming from poor corrosion resistance can frequently relate to power stations.25Annual reliability throughout the entire lifecycle is a key reason why rust removal tenders for solar project foundations are often seen.”

In addition to these harder-to-detect subtle issues, some bracket manufacturers engage in more obvious cost-cutting practices.“Photovoltaic project procurement often uses tons of steel as the standard unit. Companies dare to bid low prices because they know investors won't actually weigh rolls of steel. They mainly provide an approximate number by measuring the width and thickness of the plates. As long as the discrepancy meets the standard, the shipment can pass inspection, which also leaves some room for manufacturers to cheat.”The aforementioned bracket manufacturer helplessly said,“Many support frame companies often quote two different prices, one for over-weight and one for under-weight. When considering the previous several stages, if one is not well-versed in the details of photovoltaic support frames, the price difference per ton could be substantial.500~1000Yuan/Tonnes, which is also a significant reason why some support frame companies dare to report low prices.”

It should be noted that the lack of clear acceptance standards and leniency in some cases has also provided certain companies with the opportunity to engage in fraudulent activities.2022The incident in Xinjiang, where a 100-megawatt photovoltaic array was damaged during a heavy windstorm, has caused a stir in the industry. Several professionals in the photovoltaic support field have commented in the background that some companies, in an effort to win bids at low prices,擅自 alter design standards to cut costs, resulting in a lack of safety redundancy in extreme working conditions, which consequently led to such accidents.

In fact, the cost of the material itself has already accounted for a significant portion within fixed brackets. While increasing acceptance standards and more specialized inspections can still mitigate the risk of low prices to some extent, the tracking brackets and flexible brackets are more involved in product design. These detailed risks are virtually impossible to prevent.

Product and Design Detail Risks

In recent years, with the increasing complexity of application scenarios in photovoltaic projects and the dwindling availability of usable land, photovoltaic...“Ascend mountains and dive into the sea.”Expanding into new application scenarios is becoming increasingly common, driving the widespread adoption of flexible supports. However, the corresponding standard system is yet to be well-established. Many support manufacturers rush to follow the market demand without systematic research and testing, leading to multiple incidents of components being blown away and supports collapsing.

Recently, a flexible bracket system in a certain area of Shanxi experienced an incident where it was flung up and down during strong wind conditions. Workers on the scene had to take the risk of tightening the steel cables to prevent further damage to the project. However, video from the scene shows that some components have been blown over and fallen. It's important to note that such accidents are not isolated cases.

In response to such accidents, Photovoltaics Consulting reached out to professionals in the flexible bracket industry, including New Energy and Huiya Pin Shang.“Two video issues involve structural forms of wire rope structures and pure two-rope structures. These two types of flexible supports are recommended for use under low wind pressures (wind levels not exceeding ...)7Grade, wind pressure not exceeding0.2kN/m2)Regional usage, with controlled spans15mIn-house.”

“Currently, flexible supports in the market can be divided into four categories based on their chronological appearance and structural forms. The wire rope structures and pure two-rope structures are relatively easy to deform under external loads such as wind pressure, leading to component twists and flips. The three-rope structures and spatial rope net architectures are relatively stable, but some application forms have complex structures and high costs. Specific designs should be refined based on the application scenarios.”The professional added,“For owners or general contractors, when using flexible supports, do not solely pursue large spans and low costs. Prioritize the safety and suitability of the supports.”

In contrast to the gradual popularity of flexible supports, the application of tracking supports is relatively mature, yet there are still some details that the industry has not paid enough attention to. A professional in the tracking support field stated,“Currently, there is no significant difference in the actual power generation efficiency gain among the tracking supports on the market. Instead, the differences are more evident in system reliability, stability, and after-sales service. However, as the trend of prioritizing low prices continues to escalate, some companies are gradually lowering the quality of their products closer to the lower limit of acceptance or industry standards.”

“For example, in the tracking bracket drive system, there are currently two types: brushless motors and brushed motors, but their prices vary significantly. The lifespan of the carbon brushes inside the brushed motors can reach up to...10000Several hours, and the entire lifecycle of the photovoltaic power station25Annual operation hours for brush motor-driven track bracket systems are typically only a few thousand. However, brush motors often...2~3Annual brush replacement is challenging, and the resulting power generation loss due to the entire project being shut down for maintenance is quite significant.”

The seemingly simple solar PV racking is backed by many details that non-experts are not well aware of. However, the material reductions and the resulting low-price trend are significantly diminishing the quality of entire solar power plants. Especially as the operational environment downstream of the power plants becomes increasingly complex, the safety redundancy is being eroded by the low-price effect. The risks associated with this should be a matter of concern for every owner.