Wind Load and Vibration Response of Photovoltaic Panel Supports: a Review

With the increasing prominence of environmental problems, the transition from traditional energy has become a persistent concern, prompting the wide development of photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems. As the bearing structure of PV power generation systems, PV panel supports are highly sensitive to wind load, which may cause damages. Therefore, wind load is the most important load in the design of PV panel supports and should be investigated accordingly. Herein, the influences of various factors, such as the panel inclination angle, wind direction, body-type coefficient, geometric scale, shielding effect, and template gap on the wind load of the PV panel supports are presented. Wind load produces vibrations of PV panels, which is one of the main factors for their failure. In this study, the wind-induced vibration response of the PV panel supports was analyzed. Subsequently, solution measures were proposed, and the calculation methods and values for the wind load of the PV panel support were smmarized. Combined with further theoretical research and practical experience, a wind resistance design theory of PV panel support was established.