Experimental investigation of wind loads on solar arrays with varying row configurations and tilt angles

To investigate the wind load of solar panel arrays in an atmospheric boundary layer, this study conducted rigid-model pressure measurement wind tunnel tests on solar panel arrays with varying numbers of rows, using a geometric scale ratio of 1:10. This investigation focuses on the impact of wind direction angles, tilt angle, and row number on aerodynamic characteristics under high Reynolds numbers. The results suggest that although the mean wind pressure coefficients of solar panel array have been decreased compared to single row solar panels, the complex array would lead to more complex and unfavorable fluctuating wind pressure coefficients due to the wake and other flow structures generated by array. Greater tilt angles result in an increased number of non-Gaussian regions. The influence of wake causes an intermittent appearance of regions with high peak factors, which intensifies the fluctuating components of the wind loads. This could lead to unfavorable situations, even in the middle of the array. The modification in array spacing may result in more complex wind load distribution patterns, necessary for further investigation in the future.