Fullscale Measurement and Investigation of Wind Pressure Loadings on Typical Rooftop Photovoltaic Solar Panels

Abstract:

A fullscale measurement of wind pressure loadings was conducted on photovoltaic (PV) solar panels mounted on the flat roof of a multipurpose lowrise building. According to the characteristics of wind pressure time series, several probability density functions were properly selected for nonlinear regression analysis of wind pressure coefficients of each gauging point. Numerical fittings of mean and peak (positive maxima and negative minima) and areaaveraged peak pressure coefficients were performed and compared by using six probability distributions. The analysis results show that the probability distributions of negative minima and positive maxima of pressure coefficients are leftskewed and rightskewed, respectively. The mean pressure coefficient time series comply with unbiased distribution and the t distribution fits the measured data best, followed by Logistic, Normal, Type I EDV distribution, respectively; Type I EVD has the best fitting effect for peak values, and then the Lognormal distribution, Gamma distribution and Normal distribution in order; The most unfavorable pressure coefficient is dominated by negative peak pressure, that is, suction forces are predominant over wind forces on PV panels; The tributary areaaveraged unfavorable pressure coefficient is recommended to take -2.3.