Solar Sites

A site-specific wind study determines the directional design wind speeds at a project location. Because wind loading is the dominant force driving solar structure design, more accurate wind speeds directly translate into optimized designs. When a site-specific study reveals lower design speeds, cost savings are significant.

The most precise way to determine wind loads at a specific site (for example, top-of-pile loads) is to combine directional wind loading data with the results of a site-specific wind study. This is sometimes called a “multisector study”, named after the method CPP used to integrate the wind loads over all wind directions.

A site-specific snow study determines the ground snow loads at a project location to optimize design or define loads where a case study is required by code. A snow and wind load combinations study lends insight into the companion loads for both strength and allowable stress design.

Wind speeds up over the crests of hills, increasing wind loads. In addition, inter-row sheltering can be reduced. Our simulations capture these effects much more precisely that the simplified speed-up equations presented in building codes.

From module cracking to torque tube buckling, CPP’s team of experts can help find the root cause of wind-induced failures.

Sandy soils tend to scour in areas of accelerated flow and settle into drifts in sheltered areas. Solar power plants present both of these situations, with flow acceleration under the modules and sheltered areas in between rows in the array interior. Scouring can lead to increased post reveal and subsequent loss of load resistance. Drifting can lead to operational and safety issues when important components and cabling become buried in the drifts. Our simulations and consulting help by identifying where mitigation is most effective, and can be used to develop an operational plan to control and minimize the effects of sand scour and drifting.