the solar facilities i'm familiar with use aluminum beams for the structure. it is more than strong enough, lighter so it is easier to install/ship to site, and

the solar facilities i'm familiar with use aluminum beams for the structure. it is more than strong enough, lighter so it is easier to install/ship to site, and requires no special treatment to survive the environment for more than the life of the installation. the panels themselves do not contain steel, either. > And I bet steel is the least toxic element of the panels. perhaps, but nothing on the panels comes off. they're solid objects largely impervious to all forms of precipitation. more of your house washes away in a storm than comes off a panel.