Wind Load Characteristics of Fixed Photovoltaic System Installed on Hills

The wind load pressures on a fixed photovoltaic system installed on hills with slopes of 15° and 30° were measured in the wind tunnel test. Based on the time series of wind pressures at measuring taps, the mean wind pressure coefficients on the upper, lower and net surfaces were analyzed, and the effects of hill slopes are discussed. The wind pressure coefficients obtained by wind tunnel tests are compared to the values calculated with the code order. The results show that as the slope increases from 15° to 30°, the most unfavorable wind directions associated with the most critical wind pressures remains the same for zones at different locations. But the magnitudes of the critical wind pressures are different. The standard calculated mean wind pressure coefficients tended to be higher at a slope of 0°, except at the upper end of the chord line at the summit. The mean wind pressure coefficients for the hilltop and mid-slope strings become even higher after accounting for terrain correction factors.