Study on the wind load and wind-induced interference effect of photovoltaic (PV) arrays on two-dimensional hillsides

Accurate assessment of wind loads on PV modules is crucial for the economic efficiency and safety of PV power stations. Most of these studies focused on the PV arrays installed on flat ground, whereas research on the PV arrays installed on hillsides has been lacking. This paper carried out CFD simulations of single-row PV modules and arrays on a two-dimensional hillside. The results show that the slope can either enhance or weaken the wind load. The enhancement and weakening effects become stronger with larger slope. When the slope is 30 degrees, the wind load of the single row of PV modules at the bottom of the hillside can be reduced by up to 80%, the load of the first row of the array can be reduced by up to 25%, the load of the single row of the PV modules at the top of the hillside can be enhanced by up to 150%, and the load of the last row of the array can be enhanced by up to 280%. The wind field in the range of 0.2 times the hillside length from the top of the hillside is more complex, and the wind load is quite different from that of the flat ground, which should receive special attention in the design process.