How Wind Affects Solar Trackers on PV Panels
Zachary’s presentation at EPRI focused on the aeroelastic effects of wind on single axis trackers. Discover the important takeaways now.
Sector: Renewable Energy
Power and Performance for the Energy Transition
Reenergizing the grid with performance engineering
A renewable energy system is often one of the most expensive line items on a project. However, we see this as an opportunity to maximize benefits. By leveraging on-site renewable energy credits, you will gain flexibility in meeting sustainability goals while enhancing your project’s environmental impact.
Smart deployment of renewable technologies can significantly reduce both initial and ongoing costs. With the rapid evolution of renewable energy options, we continuously evaluate innovative and proven solutions to find the best fit for each project. Our commitment is to ensure that every renewable energy system we consult on meets immediate needs, while also contributing to a more sustainable future.
Addressing renewable energy challenges
With the global shift towards the green energy transition, renewable projects will need innovation to become more efficient, affordable, and scalable. Navigating ever changing regulatory and compliance landscapes can keep the project on time and budget. During operations and maintenance, unpredictable weather patterns, like hail and high winds, pose a major risk to structural integrity and power generation consistency.
The right insights at the right time
From feasibility to operations, we have the right experience and expertise to solve any green energy challenge. Explore services for every stage of the renewable energy lifecycle.
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Feasibility
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Development
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Construction & Installation
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Operations and Maintenance
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Repowering & Decommissioning
wind speed on topographic map CFD simulation
Services
- Energy and power master planning
- Siting optimization
- Risk mitigation (glare, wind/snow loads)
How we help
We support your vision with technical expertise across every climate and performance engineering discipline. Create more resilient renewable energy projects that exist in harmony with their environment and community.
Maximize energy production and efficiency
With our detailed modeling and data-driven testing, we optimize the design of renewable energy systems for increased energy generation and better financial returns for you. We specialize in site-specific climate assessments allowing you to maximize energy output. We help ensure that renewable projects operate at peak efficiency.
Comprehensive risk assessment and mitigation
Identify and mitigate risks associated with renewable energy project design. Through our Climate Labs, we can deliver environmental impact studies and climate analyses to enable clients to foresee potential challenges and implement solutions early in the planning process. Minimize costly delays, ensure smoother project execution, and ultimately protect your investment.
Future-focused project resilience
Using advanced analytical tools, we enhance resilience through comprehensive risk assessments and tailored solutions to your specific site. By identifying potential weather and environmental challenges, we ensure that renewable energy projects can withstand and adapt to changes, leading to sustainable and efficient operations now and in the future.
Minimize costs, maximize performance
Our comprehensive analysis helps clients make informed decisions about renewable energy technologies, which can help reduce initial and ongoing costs. By evaluating various options and identifying the most suitable technologies for a specific project, we help you avoid unnecessary expenditures and achieve significant savings over the project’s lifespan.
Holistic engineering solutions
Renewable energy challenges are complex. Our holistic suite of services offers climate responsive design and human-centric solutions that maximize performance while minimizing impact.
snow on solar panels
Wind tunnel test of solar array model
glare on solar arrays
off-shore wind turbines
battery storage
snow on solar panels
Site-specific climate assessments for solar projects
We conduct detailed climate assessments for solar projects, focusing on precipitation, wind, and temperature. These site-specific evaluations are crucial for optimizing solar panel placement and design, ensuring maximum energy capture while mitigating risks related to local weather conditions. By leveraging RWDI’s expertise, clients can enhance the performance of their solar installations, leading to increased energy production and reduced operational costs.
Wind tunnel test of solar array model
Wind studies for solar arrays
Our Climate Labs provide analysis and data to ensure the structural integrity and efficiency of solar arrays. These studies, which include wind tunnel testing, assess how wind interacts with solar installations, particularly for solar trackers and fixed structures. Understanding wind dynamics allows clients to optimize their designs, reducing potential damage from high winds and improving the overall reliability of their solar projects. This proactive approach helps avoid costly repairs and downtime.
Emerging solar projects
We support innovative solar technologies, such as floating solar panels and agrivoltaics. Floating solar projects are built on bodies of water, maximizing land use and reducing evaporation, while agrivoltaics integrate solar energy generation with agricultural activities. Our modeling and assessments ensure that these systems are designed to optimize energy production and agricultural yield, while addressing any potential environmental impacts and enhancing project feasibility.
glare on solar arrays
Solar glare studies
Our solar glare studies, which assess the potential impact of reflected sunlight from solar panels on nearby properties and roadways, are unique to RWDI. Understanding glare dynamics is critical for mitigating safety concerns and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. This service enables clients to design solar installations that minimize glare, thereby enhancing community acceptance and project success.
off-shore wind turbines
Noise assessments for wind turbines
We provide noise assessments for wind power projects, which are essential for minimizing disruptions to surrounding communities. By evaluating noise levels and their impacts, we help clients design wind farms that comply with local regulations and maintain community support. This service is vital for ensuring that wind projects operate smoothly and sustainably, fostering acceptance among local stakeholders.
battery storage
Battery energy storage (BES) solutions
We address various challenges associated with battery energy storage systems, including noise, ventilation, and fire risk assessments. By evaluating these factors, we helps clients design BES solutions that meet safety regulations and operational efficiency. This comprehensive approach ensures that clients can effectively store renewable energy, facilitating a smoother transition to sustainable energy sources while minimizing risks associated with battery systems.
Central & South America
America Free Zone
Detailed glare and wind studies to support the safe operation of a helipad and nearby solar panels
Global
Roof-Mounted Solar Array Manufacturing
Determining wind loads on roof-mounted solar arrays to calculate ballast weight required to secure the system in place
Global
Ground-Mount Single-Axis Solar Trackers
Innovative wind-load analysis method for solar trackers
FAQs about our renewable energy services
We provide defensible, science-based assessments to address concerns related to noise, shadow flicker, glare, and wildlife impacts. Our clear communication and technical transparency help build trust with communities and secure social license to operate.
Yes. RWDI helps renewable energy projects prepare for and withstand extreme weather—such as high winds, hail, flooding, heat waves, and ice storms. We provide site-specific climate risk assessments, wind and storm surge modeling, and design guidance to improve structural resilience. We also offer forecasting tools to support operational readiness and real-time decision-making, helping protect assets, reduce downtime, and extend the life of infrastructure.
Yes. RWDI supports BESS projects by addressing key challenges such as thermal management, ventilation, acoustic impacts, and safety under extreme environmental conditions. We help optimize siting and enclosure design to mitigate overheating risks, support code compliance, and reduce noise. Our expertise also includes modeling for fire plume dispersion and air quality to support emergency response planning and regulatory approvals.
We provide wind resource assessments, turbulence and wake modeling, solar access analysis, and site-specific climate studies. Our services help optimize layout, maximize energy yield, and support permitting for both utility-scale and distributed projects.
Yes. RWDI prepares technical studies for noise, air quality, shadow flicker, and visual impact, along with full environmental assessments to support regulatory approvals. We guide clients through permitting processes and stakeholder engagement to keep projects on track.
Yes. We analyze wind loading, icing risk, natural ventilation, and thermal performance to inform structural design, equipment placement, and operational safety for energy facilities, including elevated solar arrays, turbines, and hydrogen infrastructure.
Absolutely. We conduct detailed acoustic modeling for wind farms, solar inverters, and battery energy storage systems (BESS). Our team helps projects meet regulatory limits and minimize noise-related impacts on nearby residents.
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