Pv Panels Roof Loading

The euractive roofer project undertook numerous wind tunnel tests using scale models of roofs with panels as well as testing theoretical calculations that can in time form the basis of a european standard.

Pv panels roof loading. Photovoltaic panels are becoming ever more numerous as prices drop but they can be a heavy burden on your roof if not carefully installed says peter caplehorn. Wind loading on solar panels depends on three basic factors. Both the mounting equipment and the solar panels weigh 2 4 lbs per square foot which is equivalent to 10 20 kg per square meter on average. Wind speed the height of the panel above the roof and the relative location of the panel on the roof.

Therefore both the irc and ibc state that the loads imposed by the pv panels on the roof must be considered and the new or existing framing must be capable of supporting this loading including effects of wind and snow load drifting. The weight is within the acceptable limits of any roof. The weight load of the pv system is vital to determine if your rooftop has adequate structural support for pv panels. This is a problem because although permitting agencies require assessments of the structural attachment of solar equipment to rooftops the safety and sufficiency of these attachments are not adequately addressed in any codes or standards.

Today s photovoltaic pv industry must rely on licensed structural engineers various interpretations of building codes and standards to design pv mounting systems that will withstand wind induced loads. The feed in tariff and falling costs of pv panels mean that almost every street in the country now has a pv installation. The number of installations has fallen dramatically since the recent cuts in the feed in tariff as everyone tried to beat the deadline but as the cost of pv has fallen by up to 30 over the past year and will.