Simulated Wind Action on Photovoltaic Module by Non-uniform Dynamic Mechanical Load and Mean Extended Wind Load

Taiwan is centrally situated in the main path of typhoons generated in the Northwest Pacific Ocean (19-28° N, 117-125° E). On average in last one hundred years, three or four typhoons approach or make landfall in Taiwan yearly. This typhoon issue has received considerable attention, since the associated strong winds generally damage photovoltaic (PV) modules severely. Previous IEC standards have examined the effect of static (or dynamic) uniform loads for PV module, but did not consider the non-uniform loads due to wind effects on PV modules. In this paper, we develop an analytical model about a mean extended wind load (MEWL) test method, and a non-uniform dynamic mechanical load (NUDML) system, which can simulate the wind action on PV module by uneven mechanical loads. Results of this study revealed that the result of MEWL test strongly rely on the environmental condition of wind velocity, wind direction angle and the inclined angle of the PV module.