Calculating Wind Loads On Solar Panels

Wind loading on solar panels depends on three basic factors.

Calculating wind loads on solar panels.

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. Until all state building codes have transitioned to asce 7 10. Generally solar panels are highly resistant to damage from windy conditions.

The weight per 100sq ft kg range is 85 110. Online wind load calculator for solar pv system. 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. Use add appliance to add an empty row and the x button on the right to each row to delete that row.

Today s photovoltaic pv industry must rely on licensed structural engineers various interpretations of building codes and standards to design pv mounting. In fact most in the energysage panel database are rated to withstand significant pressure specifically from wind and hail. 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. Determine design wind speed and calculate design wind pressures using asce 7 10 icc evaluation services acceptance criteria ac 428.

Despite the lower wind load zone the wind load can be in individual cases by topographic conditions or other location effects very significant. Structural engineers responsible for calculating design wind loads for large scale solar installations have long turned to the monoslope free roof calculations in asce 7 10 and its predecessors for coefficients that estimate the uplift forces and overturning moments on racks of solar modules. Acceptance criteria for modular framing systems used to support photovoltaic pv panels ac 428 is required to obtain an icc es. These calculations offer a reasonable place to start though they don t necessarily produce conservative results.

The limiting factor for solar panel wind resistance is almost never the panels themselves. By step procedure for calculating wind loads on pv arrays. Wind speed the height of the panel above the roof and the relative location of the panel on the roof. This paper will show how to calculate for wind and snow loads using both design principles.

October 14 2016 2016 solar energy industries association 2. On the web you can find wind load calculator to determine the wind load. For example the weight per square footing for asphalt shingle weight per 100sq ft lbs range is 190 250. Solar panels hold up well in high winds.