Galvanized Steel for Desert Solar Mounting: Withstanding Extreme Temperatures

Desert regions have become the hottest spot for solar development in North Africa and the Middle East in recent years. The market has grown by 40% year over year, as more developers realize that the nearly 300 days of full sunlight here can make their solar farms generate nearly twice as much power as similar installations in temperate areas.

But we have seen too many of them learn a hard lesson after the project starts. Last year, we helped a customer in Algeria fix a costly rework project. He cut 200,000 dollars from his budget by choosing cheap uncoated steel brackets, thinking the dry desert would not cause corrosion. But only 4 years later, half of his brackets were rusted through. The rework cost him 700,000 dollars in the end.

It is a common mistake. All developers are fighting for the highest-efficiency solar panels, trying to squeeze every watt of power out of them. But they ignore the mounting system. The truth is, the brackets are the ones that decide whether your project can run stably for the full 25 years, not the panels.

And the desert environment is far harder on the brackets than most people expect.

You might think the desert is just hot and dry. But it is way more than that.
In the summer, the daytime air temperature can easily top 49°C. The black steel surface of the brackets can hit 70°C, because it absorbs the sun's heat. Worse, the temperature can drop to near 0°C at night. That is a 50°C swing in just one day. The metal has to expand and contract over and over, which can wear down loose coatings or bolts over time.

And we have sandstorms every month. The hard sand particles hit the brackets at high speed, wearing down the surface. A lot of developers choose spray-coated steel for their projects, but those organic coatings get worn through in just 3 years here.

The strong UV radiation is another problem. Without any trees or clouds to block it, the sun's UV rays break down organic coatings in just a few years, making them crack and peel.

A lot of people also have a wrong idea: they think the desert is so dry that there is no corrosion. But the sand carries tiny salt particles. When the rare rain comes, those salts dissolve, and they get trapped in the gaps of the brackets, causing local corrosion. That is why uncoated steel rusts so fast here, even in the dry climate.

That is why a lot of our customers ask us the same question when they first talk to us: will the zinc coating of galvanized steel melt in the desert heat? It makes sense, after all, zinc is a relatively soft metal.

But the truth is, hot-dip galvanized coating is far more stable than most people think. According to the tests from American Galvanizers Association, the zinc coating works perfectly in a wide temperature range, from -40°C all the way to 200°C . The highest surface temperature we have ever recorded in a desert project is around 75°C, which is way below the limit. The zinc will not melt, it will not crack, and it will not lose its protection ability, even in the hottest summer days.

Another big worry is the huge day-night temperature swing. A lot of coatings peel off because the coating and the steel expand at different rates when temperature changes. But for galvanized steel, that is not a problem. The thermal expansion rate of zinc is almost the same as that of steel. They expand and shrink together, no matter how big the temperature change is. That means the coating will never crack or peel off because of temperature swings, even in the most extreme desert areas.

And the best part? In dry desert environments, the corrosion of galvanized steel is almost negligible. A 2019 study from NREL found that the annual corrosion rate of galvanized steel in arid areas is only 0.002% . That means after 15 years of use, you can not even measure the loss of coating thickness. The coating can easily last for 50 years, which is twice the design life of most solar projects.

We can also customize the coating for your local area. For most normal desert areas, our standard 85μm hot-dip galvanized coating is more than enough, it can provide 25 years of protection. But for areas with extremely frequent sandstorms, like southern Saudi Arabia or southern Algeria, we can provide a thicker 120μm coating, just like we do for coastal high-salt areas, to add extra abrasion protection .

This stability is not the only reason galvanized steel is the best choice for desert solar projects. It also beats all the other common materials in almost every aspect.

A lot of developers consider aluminum for solar mounts, because it is light. But aluminum is not nearly as strong as steel. Under the same size, the deformation of aluminum is 3 times that of steel . That is a big problem in deserts, where sandstorms can bring 120km/h winds. Galvanized steel can keep the whole system stable under that kind of wind, while aluminum mounts are more likely to bend or break.

And the cost is a huge factor. Galvanized steel only costs about 1/3 of what aluminum costs per pound . And it lasts twice as long. For a 500MW utility-scale project, that can save you millions of dollars in the long run. That is a huge difference for your project's ROI.

We also can not forget the abrasion resistance. The zinc-iron alloy layers formed during galvanizing are actually harder than the base steel itself . That means when wind-blown sand hits the surface, it can not wear it down easily. That is a huge deal in desert areas, where sandstorms happen every month. Organic coatings or even aluminum can get worn down over time, but galvanized steel can take the hit for decades.

And unlike those organic spray coatings, zinc coating does not care about UV light. The strong sun in the desert will not break it down, it will not make it crack or peel. It just keeps working, year after year .

All these are not just lab tests, you can see them work in real projects all over the world.

Take the Roadrunner Solar Field in Texas, for example. This project is right in the Chihuahuan Desert, one of the hottest and windiest areas in the US. It is a 497MW farm, powering over 100,000 homes. They used 650 tons of hot-dip galvanized steel brackets for their solar trackers. The project started in 2019, and up to now, the brackets work just like new. No corrosion, no abrasion, almost no maintenance at all .

There is also the Nevada Solar One project, which is even older. It is in the Mojave Desert, and it started operation back in 2006. They used 400 tons of galvanized steel for all the supports. After nearly 20 years, the steel is still in perfect shape. No rust, no structure problems, it just keeps running .

We have seen the same thing with our own projects. Last year, we finished a 30MW project in North Africa, right on the edge of the Sahara. The customer was worried about the sand and heat at first. But after 3 years of operation, they sent us feedback: there is no sign of corrosion or abrasion on the galvanized parts. The whole system is still as strong as the day it was installed. That is exactly what we promised them .

Of course, even with all that durability, there are still a few things you need to pay attention to, to make sure your project runs as long as possible.

First, during the installation. We know the desert wind is strong, and the installation schedule is tight. But you need to be careful when you move the brackets, do not scratch the coating. We can send you small touch-up paint samples with the goods, so you can fix small scratches right on the site. And when you install the bolts, make sure you use the right torque, do not leave them too loose, and do not over-tighten them either, that can damage the coating.

Then, the daily maintenance.
The first thing is the bolts. That big temperature swing we talked about earlier? It can make the bolts loosen over time, because the metal keeps expanding and contracting. We recommend you check the bolt torque every 6 months, just to make sure everything is tight. It is a simple check, but it can stop a lot of big problems later.

Then, you need to clean the sand off the surface regularly. Sand can pile up in the gaps of the structure, and if it rains, that sand can trap moisture against the steel. You can use a soft brush and neutral detergent to clean it. Do not use strong acid or alkali cleaners, they will damage the zinc coating. And do not worry about the white powder you might see on the surface sometimes, that is just normal zinc oxide, it is the self-protection layer of the coating. Only if you see red rust, you need to do something about it.

If you do find a small scratch, you can just touch it up with zinc-rich epoxy paint, the one with at least 90% zinc content. That will seal the area, and stop any corrosion from starting. It is a quick fix, and it will keep the whole system protected.

And even though it does not rain much in the desert, you still need to make sure the mounts have good drainage. When those rare heavy rains come, you do not want water and sand sitting in the gaps of the structure. That can cause local corrosion, even in dry areas.

At the end of the day, desert solar projects need a mounting material that can take a beating. Extreme heat, big temperature swings, sand, UV, all of that can wear down lesser materials in just a few years. But galvanized steel can handle all of it.

It is stable, it is strong, it is cheap, and it lasts for decades. It is no wonder that so many large desert solar projects choose galvanized steel over other materials. It is the most reliable, cost-effective choice you can make for your desert solar project.

Do not make the mistake of cutting corners on the mounting system, like that Algerian customer we helped last year. Choosing the right galvanized steel mounting system will make sure your project runs smoothly for 25 years, and gives you the best return on your investment.

If you have a desert solar project in the pipeline, we can help. We can send you the full third-party test report from our North Africa project, and free samples of our galvanized steel. We can also customize the coating thickness for your local environment, to make sure it fits your project perfectly.

Just contact us, and we will get back to you within 24 hours.