Construction Industry News
Aluminum has been proclaimed the green metal of the future. It's a critical facilitator for the ongoing shift to greener energy systems, according to a new McKinsey analysis of the raw materials needed to create clean energy.
Aluminum is ideal for solar panel applications due to its high strength-to-weight ratio, high surface reflectivity, and excellent electrical and thermal conductivity.
Most components of solar panels, such as the frames and mounting structures that hold and support the PV panels, are already made of aluminum.
It is also widely used in long distance power transmission and distribution.
Extruded aluminum parts are easy to manufacture, transport and assemble, and setting up a solar infrastructure requires less expertise and time.
They do not require much maintenance or additional protection as they are naturally corrosion resistant. Heat-treated aluminum alloys can also easily tolerate wind speeds of up to 150-170 km/h.
Aluminum cools quickly, which is important for solar PV because higher temperatures limit the efficiency of power generation. Another advantage is that aluminum can be recycled indefinitely.
Despite the fact that these properties have made aluminum the material of choice for solar energy infrastructure around the world, Indian manufacturers continue to prefer steel.
With a production capacity close to 4 MTPA, India's aluminum sector can accelerate the country's transition to RE/solar. Domestic aluminum companies have made major investments in research and development to develop high-performance alloys for a variety of applications.
Market giants such as Vedanta produce high-quality aluminum products used in solar, construction, automotive and electrical applications.
Vedanta Aluminum is the world's largest producer of wire rod (excluding China) and the largest producer and exporter of billets in India.
Extruders and downstream manufacturers serving the solar industry have benefited immensely from their technical expertise. They can use their R&D centers to co-create new products and custom applications for the solar industry, in addition to sourcing raw materials that meet global quality requirements.
India's solar industry is hampered by factors such as lack of funding, unfavorable government regulations and competition from cheap Chinese imports.
According to media sources, the production capacity of solar PV cells and modules in India is only 2.5 GW/year and 9-10 GW/year respectively, but the annual requirement for the next ten years is about 10 GW/year.
As a result, the country's solar energy sector is highly dependent on imported solar cells, modules and inverters.
Therefore, players in the solar energy sector in India and aluminum manufacturers should immediately work together to build long-term value chains for the production of solar cells and panels in the country.
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