Design codes or due diligence – what’s easier to follow for wind resilient PV trackers?

It is widely acknowledged by the industry that close attention should be paid to a tracker’s wind resilience performance. The level of expertise, however, drops when asked what exactly to look out for. There are a few buzzwords thrown around, but for project developers and asset owners it can be challenging to assess wind tunnel reports or to find independent engineers that can adequately validate the findings.

The reason for this? There are no real design standards in place. Many source pressure coefficients and other parameters from structure codes, which are designed for mono-sloped free-standing roofs such as carports. This ignores various wind forces and has largely been dismissed as insufficient.

In this pv magazine webinar, tracker manufacturer PV Hardware will provide insight into what project developers, asset owners and independent engineering firms should bear in mind when considering a tracker installation. Resulting from insufficient design standards, the cooperation between manufacturers, asset owners and project developers is critical.

PV Hardware will be joined by wind engineering laboratory CPP’s David Banks, who will talk in greater detail about the necessity and complexity of establishing a bespoke wind design code for single-axis PV trackers. This is not without controversy, and a straightforward solution would undermine legitimate disagreements between wind experts around the globe. Whether a section model or a full aeroelastic model is needed is only the beginning of the debate. Be part of the conversation!

Content

• Code compliance is not enough, for now
• Due diligence for wind tunnel report reviews
• Section model or full aeroelastic model testing
• Wind design codes for PV trackers, when can we have one?
• Simpler review processes after bespoke wind design Code?

Questions may be submitted beforehand and during the webinar through a chat window for a fully engaging and interactive experience.