Solar

Solar Photovoltaic Systems
Committee
New SEAOC Documents on the

Structural Design of Rooftop Solar
Arrays
November 1, 2012
Ronald LaPlante, S.E.
Division of State Architect – State of California
New SEAOC PV Committee Reports
Available for free download for members at:

http://www.seaoc.org/seasecure/member.html
SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee
Outline
 PV Committee and Scope

 SEAOC Solar PV Wind Report
 SEAOC Solar PV Seismic Report
 Next steps
 What is DSA doing?

PV COMMITTEE AND SCOPE

Formation of Committee
 Formed in September 2011 as subcommittee

of SEAOC Wind Committee
 Composed of:
 Structural Engineers
 Code Enforcement Agencies
 Wind Tunnel Experts
 Solar PV Industry Members
 NCSEA & ASCE 7 Wind Committee Members
 SEAOC Seismology Members

Solar Photovoltaic Arrays Types
Parking Garages
Flat Roofs
Sloped Roofs
Carports Ground Mount

Which Wind Loading Provisions Apply?
ASCE 7-05
What about
other
installations?
Enclosed Buildings – C&C

(ASCE 7-05 Figure 6-11)
ICC AC 428
Open Buildings (ASCE 7-05 Figure 6-18,19)
Which Wind Loading Provisions Apply?
Parking Garages
Flat Roofs – not flush mounted
Pitched Roofs – not flush mounted Ground Mount - Sheltering

Wind Tunnel Procedure
ASCE 7
Wind Tunnel Procedure (WTP)
What’s an
appropriate wind
tunnel study?
Should the WTP be

ASCE 7 WTP is peer reviewed?
written for specific
building modeling, Roof zoning? Does building need
not generalized to be modeled?
buildings with solar Etc… Is there a minimum
panels. wind load?
PV2 REPORT ON WIND DESIGN

Goals for Solar PV Wind Report
 Develop report to address wind

design provisions for low-profile
solar PV arrays on flat roofs
 Establish wind design
coefficients similar to those in
ASCE 7 figures

Goals for Solar PV Wind Report
 Define Effective Wind Area for

unique aspects of solar PV
arrays
 Define minimum Wind Tunnel
Procedure modeling
requirements and minimum
design loads
 Example Problem

SEAOC Solar PV Wind Report
 Understanding wind flow environment on roof

 Wind tunnel data from CPP & UWO



 Roof zoning for open elements on roof

different than C&C
Components & Cladding Solar PV Arrays

 Geometry selected based

on most common
application and
supported by data

 Defined roof zones similar to ASCE 7

 Clarified steps, angled corners, reentrant corners

 GCrn curves similar to ASCE 7 methodology

 Uses normalized wind area instead
Interpolate

 Factor to increase loads at perimeter of array

 Wind tunnel model requirements

 Promote consistency
 Model array on building, must consider:
 Roof zones, effective wind area, panel geometry, tilt
angle, spacing, height above roof, roof shape
 ASCE 49-07 “Wind Tunnel Testing for Buildings and
Other Structures”
 Minimum design wind loads from wind tunnel
 50% of values in Figure (no arbitrary 10 psf minimum)
 65% of values in Figure if doesn’t meet geometry in Figure
 Lower values allowed if qualified peer review
 Example Problem in Appendix

 Aid in interpretation and application of method

 Example Problem in Appendix

 Provides wind pressures on each panel of the array

PV1 REPORT ON SEISMIC DESIGN

Contents
 Performance objectives
 Building SFRS
 Attached arrays
 Unattached arrays
 Seismic displacement
 Prescriptive
displacement
 Friction testing
 NLRH analysis or
shake-table testing
Performance Objective
Life Safety per IBC 101.3

 Stay on the roof
 Stay on supporting members
 Do not block roof drainage
 Do not cause electrical fire
 Do not impede fire-fighter roof access
 Other damage that would endanger life

Existing Building Structures
 Represent 95%+ of commercial

solar installations
 Design per IBC chapter 34
 Increase lateral loads by no more
than 10%
 Increase gravity loads by no more
than 5% (concentrated loads)
 Where panels are placed, roof live
load is not assumed to act.

Attached Arrays
 Use ASCE 7-05 Chapter 13

for seismic demand (Fp)
0.4a p S DS
Fp  (1  2 z )W p
Rp h
Ip
 How to establish ap and Rp
 Some frictional resistance
may be permitted to
contribute in combination
with attachment strength.

Unattached Arrays
 Installation option that has no attachments to roof structure.

 Array is free to slide on roof during seismic event
 Need to provide seismic separation around roof and objects
 How to go about it?

Code Equivalence
 ASCE-7 Section 13.4 : “Components and their supports shall

be attached (or anchored) to the structure … Components
and their attachments shall be bolted, welded, or otherwise
positively fastened without consideration of fractional
resistance produced by the effects of gravity.”
 IBC Section 104.11 permits

alternate (non-prescriptive)
methods…..need to meet life
safety objective…..

Restrictions for Unattached Arrays
All unattached arrays Prescriptive displacement

 ≤ 7 degree roof slope  ≤ 3 degree roof slope
 Height of C.M. ≤ 2x base and 3’  Ip = 1.0
 Friction tests for SDC D, E, and F

Required Separation
 Between arrays -- 0.5IpDMPV

 Between array and a fixed object on the roof -- IpDMPV
 Between array and roof parapet -- IeDMPV
 Between array and roof edge without parapet -- 1.5IeDMPV
DMPV is the maximum inelastic

displacement expected in the
design basis earthquake

Seismic Displacement (DMPV)
Compute seismic displacement by one of the

following 3 methods:
1. Prescriptive formula
2. Nonlinear response-history analysis
3. Shake-table testing

1. Prescriptive Displacement
DMPV = (SDS – 0.4)2(60 inches)

70 0.5m
Peak displacement (cm)
60
relative to roof
50
0.67m
40
≤ 6 inches
30
20 m
10
0
0.25 0.5 0.75 1 1.25 1.5
SDS (g)
Seismic Design Categories A, B, C

DMPV = 6 inches
Friction testing not required if
common roof type

2. Nonlinear Response-History Analysis
 Design-basis roof motions

consistent with ASCE-7
Chapter 13 demands.
 Account for friction and roof
slope

Input roof motions
Option A
 Spectrally matched roof
motions
 Per ICC AC 156 with
additional requirements;
include motions with T >
0.77 seconds, taken
proportional to 1/T.

Input roof motions
Option B
 Apply ground motions to a
building model and extract roof
motions
 Recommended to bracket the
assumed properties of the
building model.

3. Shake-Table Testing
 Vertical motion to be
included
 Minimum filtering of
motions
 If motions are high-pass
filtered, supplemental
analysis required.
 2D tests require 3D
supplemental analysis.

Structural Interconnection
 Required interconnection strength within an array

Friction Testing
 Per ASTM G115, and:

 Worst case conditions for each
roof surface, e.g., wet or dry
 Independent test agency
 Measured under continuous
movement of at least 3 inches
 Loading velocity 0.1 to 10 inches
per second, adjust to minimize
stick-slip

NEXT STEPS

SEAOC Solar PV Reports into Code
What’s next? ATC, NCSEA,

CBC
Current Amendments
Efforts
• SEAOC Solar
PV Systems
Committee
• Solar ABC ASCE 7 IBC
• Technical
Papers (2016?) (2018?)
• Wind Tunnel
Studies
• ASCE 49

Next Steps for SEAOC Solar PV Committee
 Roof live load

 Special Inspection
 PV tracking systems
 Impacts on MWFRS
 Wind loads for high profile systems on roofs
 Existing building issues
 Airflow effects on PV around rooftop equipment
 Provide a simplified alternate for low profile systems

Acknowledgements

WHAT IS DSA DOING?

Authority of DSA
 DSA has the authority for plan review and

supervision of construction for:
– Elementary and secondary schools (K-12)
– Community Colleges
– Essential Service Buildings
 Plan review and construction oversight by
licensed CA Structural Engineers
– Emphasis on Seismic Safety

DSA Offices

DSA IR 16-8
 Updated in October 2012 to incorporate SEAOC PV

reports
 Available at: www.dgs.ca.gov/dsa

DSA IR 16-8
 DSA IR 16-8 addresses:
 Dead load – Check roof, keep mass increase below 10%
 Live load – No need to include where covered by panels < 24” or
signs
 Wind – SEAOC PV paper, Wind tunnel requirements, peer review
 Seismic – ASCE 7 loading, unrestrained systems per SEAOC PV
paper
 Load combinations – Apply load combo’s when checking uplift
 Rack design – ICC AC 428
 PV Installations on Standing Seam Metal Roofs
 BIPV systems – ICC AC 365
 Fire Life Safety requirements
What is DSA doing?
 IR 16-8 accepts both SEAOC papers with some exceptions:

 Does not allowing friction concurrent with anchorage to resist seismic
loads unless testing and analysis performed.
 Maximum slope for unattached systems is limited to 1:12 (4.8
degrees) instead of 7 degrees to be consistent with 2015 IBC and
2013 CBC HCD Amendment (following slides).
 A qualifying parapet, which is used to reduce the separation distance
around the perimeter of the roof, must be checked for the PV sliding
impact load concurrent with out-of-plane wall inertial load. SEAOC
PV paper does not require any structural check. No need to check
parapet if ignoring it and using 1.5IeDMPV separation distance.

2013 CBC
 2013 CBC Amendment to 2012 IBC

Section 1509.7
 Effective wind area should NOT be based
on effective wind area of a single unit frame
 DSA and HCD co-adopt Exception

2013 CBC
 2013 CBC Section 1613.5 – amendment

to modify ASCE 7-10 Section 13.4 to
allow unrestrained solar arrays.
Next Slide

2013 CBC
 2013 CBC Section 1613.5 (continued).
SEAOC Solar PV Paper

indicates how to do this

Solar Photovoltaic Systems
Committee
THANK YOU
ron.laplante@dgs.ca.gov

Solar

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Solar Photovoltaic Systems

New SEAOC Documents on the

Available for free download for members at:

 PV Committee and Scope

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Formed in September 2011 as subcommittee

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

Carports Ground Mount

Enclosed Buildings – C&C

Pitched Roofs – not flush mounted Ground Mount - Sheltering

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

Should the WTP be

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Develop report to address wind

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Define Effective Wind Area for

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Understanding wind flow environment on roof

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Wind tunnel data from CPP & UWO

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Roof zoning for open elements on roof

Components & Cladding Solar PV Arrays

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Geometry selected based

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Defined roof zones similar to ASCE 7

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 GCrn curves similar to ASCE 7 methodology

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Factor to increase loads at perimeter of array

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Wind tunnel model requirements

 Example Problem in Appendix

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Example Problem in Appendix

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

Life Safety per IBC 101.3

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Represent 95%+ of commercial

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Use ASCE 7-05 Chapter 13

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Installation option that has no attachments to roof structure.

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 ASCE-7 Section 13.4 : “Components and their supports shall

 IBC Section 104.11 permits

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

All unattached arrays Prescriptive displacement

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Between arrays -- 0.5IpDMPV

DMPV is the maximum inelastic

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

Compute seismic displacement by one of the

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

DMPV = (SDS – 0.4)2(60 inches)

Seismic Design Categories A, B, C

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee

 Design-basis roof motions

SEAOC Solar Photovoltaic Systems Committee