Calculating Wind Loads On Solar Panels

In fact most in the energysage panel database are rated to withstand significant pressure specifically from wind and hail.

Calculating wind loads on solar panels.

Determine design wind speed and calculate design wind pressures using asce 7 10 icc evaluation services acceptance criteria ac 428. 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. 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. Today s photovoltaic pv industry must rely on licensed structural engineers various interpretations of building codes and standards to design pv mounting.

The pv array should be mounted a maximum of six inches above the roof surface. On the web you can find wind load calculator to determine the wind load. These calculations offer a reasonable place to start though they don t necessarily produce conservative results. 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.

Until all state building codes have transitioned to asce 7 10. Generally solar panels are highly resistant to damage from windy conditions. Acceptance criteria for modular framing systems used to support photovoltaic pv panels ac 428 is required to obtain an icc es. Solar panels hold up well in high winds.

By step procedure for calculating wind loads on pv arrays. The limiting factor for solar panel wind resistance is almost never the panels themselves. Wind loading on solar panels depends on three basic factors. 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 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. This paper will show how to calculate for wind and snow loads using both design principles. For example the weight per square footing for asphalt shingle weight per 100sq ft lbs range is 190 250. Structural engineers use the solar panel roof load calculator to come up with the correct load capacity of the roof material.

The weight per 100sq ft kg range is 85 110. October 14 2016 2016 solar energy industries association 2. Online wind load calculator for solar pv system. Wind speed the height of the panel above the roof and the relative location of the panel on the roof.