what thickness glass and metal are used in commnercial panels?

rollandelliott
rollandelliott Solar Expert Posts: 834 ✭✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
What thickness of tempered glass and aluminum extrusions do commercially made panels use?

I'm guessing 1/8" thick tempered glass and aluminum extrusions that are about 1/16th of an inch thick and about 1x1" in size.

if anyone has any photos of a solar panel cross section that would be cool.
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  • Windsun
    Windsun Solar Expert Posts: 1,164 ✭✭
    #2
    Re: what thickness glass and metal are used in commnercial panels?

    The glass is more like 10-30 mils, extremely thin for flexibility.
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  • rollandelliott
    rollandelliott Solar Expert Posts: 834 ✭✭
    #3
    Re: what thickness glass and metal are used in commnercial panels?

    0.03" inch glass would shatter with the slightest hail storm?
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: what thickness glass and metal are used in commnercial panels?

    They come in all types, My early ones have very thin aluminum frames, the NingBo panels I purchased the last couple years are 1 3/4" tall and boxed and channeled the back being almost 3" across the aluminum (70mm) the glass per their specs is 3.2mm thick (1/8th inch?) and you always use to see panel manufacturers talk about using low iron glass, I guess for better transmission? I know the one panel I broke used tempered glass, my early ones use a textured/prism glass.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • Windsun
    Windsun Solar Expert Posts: 1,164 ✭✭
    #5
    Re: what thickness glass and metal are used in commnercial panels?

    Photowhit is correct, I did not read the original question right. Most current production is 3.2 mm, ranges from 3.0 to 4.0 mm.

    It is low iron tempered glass though, and not just window glass.
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  • 2manytoyz
    2manytoyz Solar Expert Posts: 373 ✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: what thickness glass and metal are used in commnercial panels?

    I had two Kyocera 135W panels delivered last week. One was fine, the other one destroyed in shipment.

    Judging by the broken glass, I would have estimated 1/8" thick, which is 3.175mm. Pretty close to the measurement in the last post.

    Ugly pic...

    dscn6036.jpg

    Old panels shipped back. New one on the way. Bad UPS!
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