Buildings Fasteners Play an Important Role in Alternative Energy Projects

There are various stages to an alternative energy project and building fasteners play an important role in every stage. From assembly to transportation, construction and maintenance, structures such as wind turbines and solar panels rely on quality fasteners to operate well.

Assembly Stage

Alternative energy projects are assembled to a certain extent before being offered to the public. Heavy duty bolts, nuts and washers that adhere to ASME, ASTM and SAE standards are used to pre-assemble wind turbines, while aluminum clips and brackets are seen on solar panel sections.

Transportation Stage

After being assembled these projects need to be transported to the retailers and installation contractors. Packaging often includes soft surfaces, wraps and plastic, but building fasteners are also used to keep the components safely together. Clips keep panels held down and brackets are often screwed in place to protect fragile parts.

Construction Stage

Using building fasteners is obviously necessary at this stage. The fasteners used during the assembly stage may need to be inspected and possibly tightened, while those used during the transportation stage may be disposed of.

The fasteners used for installation and construction will depend on what type of alternative energy project is being erected. Wind turbines and wave power structures are often installed in extreme conditions and require heavy duty building fasteners that will stand up well. Stainless steel is often used, as is the lightweight and corrosion resistant aluminum.

Solar panels use many different specialty fasteners on the panel itself, but the frame and mounting components also require dependable fasteners that are more common, such as bolts and screws.

Maintenance Stage

After the structures have been assembled, transported and installed the energy will begin to flow. But maintenance is inevitable and replacement fasteners will be required. When age and movement wear out the bolts, nuts, washers and screws that are part of the structure, the maintenance crew will need to have strong and reliable products to replace them.

At every stage of the game alternative energy projects such as solar panels and wind turbines rely on building fasteners for operation. These tiny components play a major role in this ever expanding industry.

Building Fasteners FAQ | What Is the Difference Between Compliance and Certification?

In the engineering world the subtle differences between compliance and certification can cause a major variance. Building fasteners used on a project may help a structure or system to attain compliance, but certification is another thing entirely. The issue of conformance tends to muddy the waters as well. Designers, contractors and fastener distributors need to understand the difference between these terms in order to ensure quality.


What Is Certification?


Certification is a recognized level of achievement, often industry specific and awarded by an independent and authorized agency. It may relate to the staff, products or processes within a company.

Most often certification results in a written recognition, such as an actual certificate. This may be displayed at a place of business and, in the case of products or processes, is often found on the packaging. Knowledgeable consumers will see and recognize this designation for what it is, lending the product or brand a higher level of perceived quality.


In some cases certification of a product or brand is necessary. Often building fasteners need to have been tested for quality assurance and strength in order to meet building codes and achieve certification. CSA is a globally known safety certification that covers a wide range of products in various industries.


What Is Compliance?


While certification is awarded to companies and products that have been found to reach or exceed stated levels of quality and/or durability, compliance has more to do with the design of the product or service. If the stated requirements are met, that brand, company, product or service will be deemed compliant.

Compliance may be granted through an independent agency. But the manufacturer may also claim this designation, as long as the requirements have been published by an unbiased or unrelated organization. Building fasteners often play an important role in achieving compliance.


Similar to compliance, conformance is achieved by following stated standards and limitations. Conformance most often relates to the end product, as opposed to the procedures or programs within an organization that are deemed compliant.


A Certificate of Compliance


In order to recognize an achievement in quality control, a certificate of compliance and/or a certificate of conformance will be awarded. This document is dated and authorized, providing confirmation to both the company and all those it works with.


Those who deal with building fasteners in any way will need to understand the differences between these terms. Although they all work together and relate to quality, they are not interchangeable in the true sense.

Building Fasteners FAQ | Understanding Plating and Heat Treatments

Building fasteners are subject to moisture, pressure, wind and other forces that will wear away at the metal. In order to offer greater strength and durability these fasteners are often treated. Plating and heat treatments are two of the most common ways to increase the reliability of building fasteners, even in the most extreme conditions.

Plating Defined

The process of plating is used in many industries. Jewelry and collectibles are plated with gold and silver. Plating has made inroads in the field of nanotechnology using thin film deposition. And perhaps the most common reason for plating continues to be applied in the fastener industry – corrosion resistance and improved durability.

The plating process involves coating a conductive surface with a thin layer of metal, thereby improving or altering the strength and/or appearance of the object. Plating is often done using electrolysis and is more distinctly termed electroplating. Electrogalvanization is a well-known example of this process.

Cadmium plating was a popular process in the past, but has since fallen out of favor. Although the metal has been found to be toxic to the environment the benefits it delivers to the aerospace and military industries have caused cadmium plating (or simply cad plating) to retain its popularity there.

In most other industries cadmium has been replaced by zinc plating or, in some instances, alloy plating. Both of these processes provide high levels of corrosion resistance using an economical method.

Heat Treatment Defined

Heat treatment is similar to plating in that it also changes the strength of a metal through the process. The difference is that heat treatment works to actually alter the characteristics of the alloy or metal, making it stronger, harder, more durable, tougher and more ductile.

Any process that alters the physical properties of an alloy or metal through either cooling or heating is considered heat treatment. For some metals, both extreme heating and extreme cooling are used in the treatment process.

Building fasteners may go through the process of heat treatment in order to attain certification in a specific industry. Many projects that are subject to extreme conditions will need fasteners that have been through heat treatment, while others will get along well with fasteners that have been plated. Read through your specs carefully to determine which type is needed on your project.