Progress in assessing wind loads on roof-mounted solar panels: Research and standards
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This paper provides a comprehensive review of existing literature and current wind code and standard provisions related to wind effects on roof-mounted photovoltaic systems, with particular emphasis on tilted PV arrays installed on flat or nearly flat roofs, which form the basis of most current design provisions. While significant progress has been made in understanding wind-induced loads on solar structures, variations in experimental setups and modeling considerations have resulted in inconsistent findings. The study examines national codes and standards, including ASCE/SEI 7 (2022), AS/NZS 1170.2 (2021), NBCC (2020), JIS C 8955 (2017) and SEAOC PV2 (2017) provisions, identifying gaps and differences in addressing the specific practical needs of solar-attached systems. An experimental investigation is presented to quantify the influence of geometric scale on extreme peak force coefficients for tilted rooftop PV arrays. The results show that large-scale models may significantly underestimate or overestimate wind peak pressures depending on PV module location within the array. Conservative amplification factors are proposed to account for geometric scale effects in wind tunnel tests employing enlarged-scale models, thereby reducing potential underestimation of extreme peak force coefficients. Finally, the paper identifies key research gaps and offers insights for future research directions and potential updates to wind codes and standards to advance their applicability for roof-mounted photovoltaic systems.
Language: English
Topic: Wind and Air Flow Studies
Subfield: Environmental Engineering
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,880
OpenAlex ID: W7214604309