Design Snow Loads for Ground Mounted Solar Panels (ASCE Press) - Softcover

MIchael O'Rourke; Michael Klug; Michael Faraone

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0784416362 ISBN 13: 9780784416365

Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers, 2025

Synopsis

Design Snow Loads for Ground Mounted Solar Panels addresses the snow load considerations for ground mounted solar panels (GMSP) in the United States, notably in snow-heavy regions. This publication aligns with ASCE Standard 7-22 for roof snow loads, adjusting to factors including exposure, thermal conditions, and slope. The content includes suggested values for service life factors and provides example problems to illustrate the application of these procedures.  Topics include ·       Service life factor, ·       Temporary load, ·       Exposure factor Ce, ·       Thermal factor Ct, ·       Slope factor, ·       Partial loading, ·       Influence of leading edge height, and ·       Design examples. The authors have compiled a valuable resource for engineers, architects, and other professionals involved in the design and installation of ground-mounted solar panels, particularly those working in regions with significant snowfall.

About this title

About the Authors

Michael O'Rourke, P.E., Ph.D., has been a professor of civil engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute since 1974 and professor emeritus since 2022. He authored dozens of articles on snow loads and several guidelines and chaired the ASCE 7 Snow and Rain Loads subcommittee responsible for rain and snow load provisions of ASCE 7-98, 7-02, 7-05, 7-10, and 7-16.

Patrick D. Kalush is a Ph.D. student at The Ohio State University studying some applied uses of fiber reinforced polymer bars in concrete. During his undergraduate studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he focused on snow loads, particularly unique loading applications in solar panels.

Michael Klug, P.E., S.E., received his Bachelors of Engineering degree in mechanical engineering from Cardiff University in Wales, UK. He spent the first decade of his career applying structural engineering principles in support of traditional building design and in the last 12 years has focused primarily on the renewables industry, specifically mid- to large-scale, ground mounted, solar photovoltaic installations.

Michael Faraone, Ph.D., P.E., earned his Ph.D. in geotechnical engineering from the University of Florida, researching geostatistics and reliability-based design for deep foundations. He has served as the director of engineering for Terrasmart in renewable energy and currently serves as the head of geotechnical engineering at the Bridge Software Institute at the University of Florida.

Edition details

• Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0784416362
• ISBN 13: 9780784416365
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 122