Calculating Wind Loads On Solar Panels

The solar america board for codes and standards put together a report to assist solar professionals with calculating wind loading and to design pv arrays to withstand these loads.

Calculating wind loads on solar panels.

Until all state building codes have transitioned to asce 7 10. For example the weight per square footing for asphalt shingle weight per 100sq ft lbs range is 190 250. Fill out each field for each appliance if you are unsure about the wattage of your appliance click on add appliance from load chart button to add that appliance from the list that we prepared for you with estimated wattage. Use add appliance to add an empty row and the x button on the right to each row to delete that row.

In fact most in the energysage panel database are rated to withstand significant pressure specifically from wind and hail. The limiting factor for solar panel wind resistance is almost never the panels themselves. Wind speed the height of the panel above the roof and the relative location of the panel on the roof. Today s photovoltaic pv industry must rely on licensed structural engineers various interpretations of building codes and standards to design pv mounting.

Structural engineers use the solar panel roof load calculator to come up with the correct load capacity of the roof material. With the introduction of the asce 7 10 there are two potential design principles used for calculating wind and snow loads for pv systems in the u s. These calculations offer a reasonable place to start though they don t necessarily produce conservative results. The weight per 100sq ft kg range is 85 110.

Generally solar panels are highly resistant to damage from windy conditions. Despite the lower wind load zone the wind load can be in individual cases by topographic conditions or other location effects very significant. By step procedure for calculating wind loads on pv arrays. This paper will show how to calculate for wind and snow loads using both design principles.

Acceptance criteria for modular framing systems used to support photovoltaic pv panels ac 428 is required to obtain an icc es. The euractive roofer project undertook numerous wind tunnel tests using scale models of roofs with panels as well as testing theoretical calculations that can in time form the basis of a european standard. The pv array should be mounted a maximum of six inches above the roof surface. Wind loading on solar panels depends on three basic factors.

The approach is applicable to pv modules mounted on rooftops that are no more than 60 feet high when the pv array is oriented parallel to the roof surface and when the mounting structure is sufficiently rigid. Solar panels hold up well in high winds. On the web you can find wind load calculator to determine the wind load. Determine design wind speed and calculate design wind pressures using asce 7 10 icc evaluation services acceptance criteria ac 428.