Wind loading characteristics and roof zoning of solar arrays mounted on flat-roofed tall buildings

Effects of building height (24, 48, 72, and 96 m) and panel tilt angle on wind loads of solar arrays on sharp roofs were investigated through wind tunnel testing. The largest mean and negative peak module force coefficients among all modules and wind angles tended to decrease as building height increased. This is attributed to that approaching flows tend to separate from roof edges rather than building sides of low-rise buildings. Moreover, building height exerted a more significant influence on the largest mean and negative peak module force coefficients among all wind angles on modules at roof corners than those at roof edges and centers. Roof zoning of solar arrays was conducted using the k-means algorithm. The roof zoning scheme helps to balance the design cost and structural safety of rooftop solar arrays. Roofs can be divided into three categories based on k-means clustering analysis, i.e., corner, edge, and interior zones. Besides, regression analysis of mean and negative peak loads with building height at various roof zones was conducted. This study provides recommendations for design wind loads on solar arrays mounted on roofs with different heights.