Hurricane-Resistant Solar: Designing Single-Axis Trackers for Extreme Wind

Single-axis solar trackers are increasingly being installed in high wind, hurricane prone areas. Wind events in these regions not only impart extreme loading on solar modules and racking, but also last long periods of time, are frequently combined with damaging flooding, and can quickly change in direction without warning. Current standards and design practices are insufficient to account for these hurricane events, leading to costly site damage and disruptions to the power grid. This presentation will cover newly released studies and innovative testing that provide powerful tools to more accurately model and design for the damaging effects of hurricanes.