WIND TUNNEL STUDY OF WIND-INDUCED LOADING ON AN ISOLATED SOLAR PANEL
Abstract
<p>Solar panels (SPs) are designed to withstand wind-induced loading, characterised by varying wind speeds and directions, as well as high turbulence. This paper examines force coefficient statistics—mean, standard deviation, 3-s gust and peak values—on an isolated SP model, using data from an experimental campaign conducted in the atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel at Ruhr University Bochum. A geometric scale of 1:30 was adopted for the SP model, tested across two terrain roughness profiles, three wind speeds, and various approaching wind directions, at a fixed tilt angle of 30°. Findings indicate that wind profiles with lower turbulence intensity produce lower force coefficients across all wind directions, whereas variations in wind speed show no significant effect. The collected dataset is intended to support the validation of future computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies.</p>