Comprehensive analysis of wind effects on rooftop solar photovoltaic arrays: implications for load design

Huayi Peng; Shengfu Dai; Hongjun Liu

doi:10.2749/tokyo.2025.3158

Comprehensive analysis of wind effects on rooftop solar photovoltaic arrays: implications for load design

Huayi Peng^*
, Shengfu Dai
, Hongjun Liu

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Intelligent Civil and Ocean Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Intelligent and Resilient Structures for Civil Engineering

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

The wind loading on rooftop photovoltaic (PV) arrays and aerodynamic mechanism were investigated through wind tunnel tests and numerical simulations, respectively. The non-Gaussian properties of wind pressures and their effects on peak wind pressures on flat-roofed PV arrays were investigated. The significant non-Gaussian properties of wind pressures were observed on rooftop PV arrays. The effects of panel location, tilt angle β, parapet height hp, and building corner modification were studied. The largest most critical loads fluctuated greatly with panel locations. To balance design costs and structural safety, the roof zoning for wind loads on PV arrays was analyzed using the k-means method. Regression analysis of the wind loads with β and hp in various panel zones on roofs with building corner modification was conducted. The developed models can provide recommendations for designing wind loads on rooftop PV arrays at various roof zones.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025
Subtitle of host publication	Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches - Report
Publisher	International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE)
Pages	3158-3165
Number of pages	8
ISBN (Electronic)	9783857482069
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2749/tokyo.2025.3158
State	Published - 2025
Externally published	Yes
Event	IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches - Tokyo, Japan Duration: 18 May 2025 → 21 May 2025

Publication series

Name	IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches - Report

Conference

Conference	IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches
Country/Territory	Japan
City	Tokyo
Period	18/05/25 → 21/05/25

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

aerodynamic mechanism
load prediction
panel zoning
rooftop PV array
wind loading

Access to Document

10.2749/tokyo.2025.3158

Cite this

Peng, H., Dai, S., & Liu, H. (2025). Comprehensive analysis of wind effects on rooftop solar photovoltaic arrays: implications for load design. In IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches - Report (pp. 3158-3165). (IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches - Report). International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE). https://doi.org/10.2749/tokyo.2025.3158

Peng, Huayi ; Dai, Shengfu ; Liu, Hongjun. / Comprehensive analysis of wind effects on rooftop solar photovoltaic arrays : implications for load design. IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches - Report. International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE), 2025. pp. 3158-3165 (IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches - Report).

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title = "Comprehensive analysis of wind effects on rooftop solar photovoltaic arrays: implications for load design",

abstract = "The wind loading on rooftop photovoltaic (PV) arrays and aerodynamic mechanism were investigated through wind tunnel tests and numerical simulations, respectively. The non-Gaussian properties of wind pressures and their effects on peak wind pressures on flat-roofed PV arrays were investigated. The significant non-Gaussian properties of wind pressures were observed on rooftop PV arrays. The effects of panel location, tilt angle β, parapet height hp, and building corner modification were studied. The largest most critical loads fluctuated greatly with panel locations. To balance design costs and structural safety, the roof zoning for wind loads on PV arrays was analyzed using the k-means method. Regression analysis of the wind loads with β and hp in various panel zones on roofs with building corner modification was conducted. The developed models can provide recommendations for designing wind loads on rooftop PV arrays at various roof zones.",

keywords = "aerodynamic mechanism, load prediction, panel zoning, rooftop PV array, wind loading",

author = "Huayi Peng and Shengfu Dai and Hongjun Liu",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches - Report All rights reserved.; IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches ; Conference date: 18-05-2025 Through 21-05-2025",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.2749/tokyo.2025.3158",

language = "英语",

series = "IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches - Report",

publisher = "International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE)",

pages = "3158--3165",

booktitle = "IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025",

}

Peng, H, Dai, S & Liu, H 2025, Comprehensive analysis of wind effects on rooftop solar photovoltaic arrays: implications for load design. in IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches - Report. IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches - Report, International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE), pp. 3158-3165, IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches, Tokyo, Japan, 18/05/25. https://doi.org/10.2749/tokyo.2025.3158

Comprehensive analysis of wind effects on rooftop solar photovoltaic arrays: implications for load design. / Peng, Huayi; Dai, Shengfu; Liu, Hongjun.
IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches - Report. International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE), 2025. p. 3158-3165 (IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches - Report).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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T2 - IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches

AU - Peng, Huayi

AU - Dai, Shengfu

AU - Liu, Hongjun

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - The wind loading on rooftop photovoltaic (PV) arrays and aerodynamic mechanism were investigated through wind tunnel tests and numerical simulations, respectively. The non-Gaussian properties of wind pressures and their effects on peak wind pressures on flat-roofed PV arrays were investigated. The significant non-Gaussian properties of wind pressures were observed on rooftop PV arrays. The effects of panel location, tilt angle β, parapet height hp, and building corner modification were studied. The largest most critical loads fluctuated greatly with panel locations. To balance design costs and structural safety, the roof zoning for wind loads on PV arrays was analyzed using the k-means method. Regression analysis of the wind loads with β and hp in various panel zones on roofs with building corner modification was conducted. The developed models can provide recommendations for designing wind loads on rooftop PV arrays at various roof zones.

AB - The wind loading on rooftop photovoltaic (PV) arrays and aerodynamic mechanism were investigated through wind tunnel tests and numerical simulations, respectively. The non-Gaussian properties of wind pressures and their effects on peak wind pressures on flat-roofed PV arrays were investigated. The significant non-Gaussian properties of wind pressures were observed on rooftop PV arrays. The effects of panel location, tilt angle β, parapet height hp, and building corner modification were studied. The largest most critical loads fluctuated greatly with panel locations. To balance design costs and structural safety, the roof zoning for wind loads on PV arrays was analyzed using the k-means method. Regression analysis of the wind loads with β and hp in various panel zones on roofs with building corner modification was conducted. The developed models can provide recommendations for designing wind loads on rooftop PV arrays at various roof zones.

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KW - load prediction

KW - panel zoning

KW - rooftop PV array

KW - wind loading

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M3 - 会议稿件

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BT - IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025

PB - International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE)

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ER -

Peng H, Dai S, Liu H. Comprehensive analysis of wind effects on rooftop solar photovoltaic arrays: implications for load design. In IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches - Report. International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE). 2025. p. 3158-3165. (IABSE Symposium Tokyo 2025: Environmentally Friendly Technologies and Structures: Focusing on Sustainable Approaches - Report). doi: 10.2749/tokyo.2025.3158

Comprehensive analysis of wind effects on rooftop solar photovoltaic arrays: implications for load design

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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