Wind tunnel experimental study on the wind load interference effect of solar panel arrays

Wind load is one of the main concerns in the design of the solar panel. The wind-induced interference effect is significant in the solar panel array, which needs further investigation. Pressures on the rigid solar panel models were measured in a wind tunnel to study the interference effect of solar panels on their pressure coefficients. By changing the inclination angle, wind direction and the number of solar panels, the interference effect on the wind load on the panels is studied. The results show that the most unfavorable wind load occurs when the panel is orientated to the wind. The upstream panels obviously shield the downstream ones and reduce their wind load. This shielding effect becomes more significant with the increase of the inclination angle. The wind load on the downstream panel tends to be constant when it locates downstream three or more panel rows. Based on the above interference effect, the pressure coefficients on the solar panel arrays are recommended and compared with those in standards, which provides a reference for the wind-resistant design of the solar panel supporting system.