PV Modules and HURICANES

System
System Posts: 2,511 admin
in Advanced Solar Electric Technical Forum #1
Greetings:

I live in Puerto Rico, a small island situated right in the middle of huricane avenue.
Since huricane season is approaching, I am beginning to worry about what to do with my panels (six Kyocera 130) if a monster like Andrew or Katrina decides to hit the island.

I would welcome and appreciate your opinions and recommendations: Should I just reinforce the metal structure to which the panels are attached? Should I remove the panels and take them down? Should I cover them with... with what!?

Panels are attached to a metal frame, two in each frame, and frames are fastened to the concrete with screws (those blue screws that does not require anchors). My house sits in the top of a hill, where strong winds are common.

Thanks.
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: PV Modules and HURICANES
    Amilkar wrote: »
    frames are fastened to the concrete with screws (those blue screws that does not require anchors).

    Those blue screws are 1 time screws. If you remove them, you have to redrill in a new location, or redrill and use next larger size. They are NOT generally reusable in a storm safety condition.

    http://www.concretescrews.com/tapcon-questions.htm
    Q: Can concrete screws be taken out and then put back into the same hole?
    A: A number of factors come into play when putting a concrete screw back in the same hole. The type of base material, the quality of the initial hole, the quality of the tapped threads in the concrete before and after removal of the concrete screw. The answer is yes, but the holding values will be lower and each fastener will be totally unique with respect to quality of holding values and in some cases may not have any holding values at all.

    ~~~~~~~~~

    I'd look into a way to take them down, or cover them with plywood, so a flying branch does not smash the panels. The wind is OK, but if someones lawn chair comes flying into them, that's it.
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  • Noodles
    Noodles Solar Expert Posts: 30 ✭✭
    #3
    Re: PV Modules and HURICANES
    mike90045 wrote: »
    I'd look into a way to take them down, or cover them with plywood, so a flying branch does not smash the panels. The wind is OK, but if someones lawn chair comes flying into them, that's it.

    I agree. Having lived through the experience of Katrina , I can promise you that panels will not survive something like that just left out in the open. Way too much flying debris. It won't even take anything more than a twig or pebble to crack your panels. I recommend taking them down(pain in the butt if you have to do it everytime a hurricane threatens), or finding a way to reinforce the mounting structure and add the plywood like Mike said.
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  • Solar Guppy
    Solar Guppy Solar Expert Posts: 1,989 ✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: PV Modules and HURICANES

    Puerto Rico is far from a "small island" and because it has very tall mountains, most hurricanes get shreaded if the storm gets any where near the actual island.

    It would also make a difference if you located on the beach/coast or a little bit inland to the maximum winds ... everything I have seen is wind is not that big of a deal, its the flooding due to the storms hitting the mountains and getting wringged out.

    I had 4 hurricanes ( centers ) pass within 20 miles of my home 2004/2005 seasons ... nothing happened to the PV or the house except for a few shingles got pulled off. Granted, I'm in the center of Florida, but there are no mountains to slow things down either

    Katrina didn't do much damage because of winds to structures, it was storm surges and levy failures that made it the storm we all will remember.

    In your case, I can't imagine it would take more than an hour to take them down so if your concerned, just store them until things pass
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  • islandskies
    islandskies Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭
    #5
    Re: PV Modules and HURICANES

    I'm mounting mine with a galv steel frame I made up, 4 panels bolt to each frame that pivots at the lower end, unbolt the rear support, loosen the pivot bolts and the whole unit will fold over face down flat .. or 1 or 2 inches from the flat concrete roof surface, then bolted down. My 2nd story roof is bordered by a 4' concrete sloping facha to deflect most of the wind upwards from the roof surface but its still kinda risky. Typhoons (Hurricanes) come thru once in awhile .. not too often thankfully.
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  • nigtomdaw
    nigtomdaw Solar Expert Posts: 705 ✭✭
    #6
    Re: PV Modules and HURICANES

    As your at the top of a hill and your panels are fixed securley to steal ground mounts providing your happy that they will survive the wind speeds the next question is can you protect the front and rear sides of the panels from impact damage from flying debris.A high momentum object hitting the rear side of a panel is more likely to cause serious damage than the toughened glass at the front like for like . So both sides need protecting. if you can rig a system of say plywood shuttering that can be easily erected to protect both sides of your panels to be more convienient that phyisically removing the panels this may be the way to go, also remember that if you make your panels easier to dissassemble and remove it will probably mean that they will be easier to steal, if thats a consideration bear it in mind also.

    Sorry seem to add more questions than solutions:blush:
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  • mikeo
    mikeo Solar Expert Posts: 386 ✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: PV Modules and HURICANES

    IslandSkies be sure you isolate any aluminum framing or brackets on the solar panels from the galvanized frame by using stainless hardware with a stainless washer separating the two different metals. You may be using SS brackets between your panels and galvanized which also works to slow corrosion by the dissimilar metals. You may already know this.
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: PV Modules and HURICANES

    islandskies,
    we have dabbled on this subject in the past and what you propose is better than nothing and i'm a firm believer in that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. (has to do with some guy named murphy) do note that you don't need to have hurricanes to encounter bad weather that can destroy pvs. there are 2 things i see right off of the bat that can thwart you. 1> you won't be there or get there in time to fold them flatly or 2> once you've flattened them the backside of the pvs are hit with strong enough winds, hail, or other debri that can destroy them. let's face it, if the item hitting your pvs is big enough or thrown with enough force your pvs will be history. i have also seen pics of how a piece of straw has embedded in palm trees due to such weather and, though something like that is rare, any item is possibly at risk under such weather and not just from pieces of straw. any efforts to minimize that possibility are worthwhile efforts imho.
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  • islandskies
    islandskies Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭
    #9
    Re: PV Modules and HURICANES
    mikeo wrote: »
    IslandSkies be sure you isolate any aluminum framing or brackets on the solar panels from the galvanized frame by using stainless hardware with a stainless washer separating the two different metals. You may be using SS brackets between your panels and galvanized which also works to slow corrosion by the dissimilar metals. You may already know this.
    Hi, the SS washer between the panel and frame is a good idea.. thanks! I used a dab of anti-sieze between the two, but I think I will get a box of SS washers and put them in.icon14.gif
    niel wrote: »
    islandskies,
    we have dabbled on this subject in the past and what you propose is better than nothing and i'm a firm believer in that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. (has to do with some guy named murphy) do note that you don't need to have hurricanes to encounter bad weather that can destroy pvs. there are 2 things i see right off of the bat that can thwart you. 1> you won't be there or get there in time to fold them flatly or 2> once you've flattened them the backside of the pvs are hit with strong enough winds, hail, or other debri that can destroy them. let's face it, if the item hitting your pvs is big enough or thrown with enough force your pvs will be history. i have also seen pics of how a piece of straw has embedded in palm trees due to such weather and, though something like that is rare, any item is possibly at risk under such weather and not just from pieces of straw. any efforts to minimize that possibility are worthwhile efforts imho.
    Hi, I just got a couple more frames to weld up.. I got the flu so been out of commission for over a week now. But as far as warning, we usually get at least a 24 hr notice if a major typhoon is headed our way.. and by my own observations on the weather website. With 2 people, folding over and securing the panels should take less than an hour. Yes, the back side of the panel is still vulnerable to a direct hit, but I'm hoping they being flat almost against the concrete roof (2nd story) flying debris has to launch about 30 ft high to clear the facia .. having said that, during the aftermath of one especially wicked supertyphoon maybe 7 or 8 yrs ago, I found one piece of a shattered 2X4 on the roof:confused:. Maybe I'll be better off if I cage up the backside of the frame with galv chain link fence material.
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