It is already hard to count how many times we have mentioned the different elements of our complex engineering background related to FLINS products in the articles of our blog. Besides the creation of systems providing unique advantages at the market, our research and development supporting our activity focuses on the ability of our structures to withstand the effects of the forces they are subjected to and the environmental factors. In this context, we have already reported the professional load tests related to TopSol to be installed on flat roofs and the ground-mounted DuoSol solar panel supporting structures among other things, what is more, in the case of the latter, the experiment comparing the two most commonly used anchoring methods in Hungary (ground screw and ground nail) too. Now, we are demonstrating the wind simulations running on the most modern types of software, which play a significant role in the optimisation of the number of elements and the price in addition to the definition of the most stable design possible.
The greatest threat to solar panel supporting structures
The professional modelling of weather conditions is an actual topic, because the Mediterranean cyclone Boris recently raging in Central Europe setting a national wind record showed that we would have to prepare for more extreme phenomena than before in Hungary in the future. This is a message for FlexInSheet Kft. that we have to make sure about the stability of solar panel supporting structures exposed to violent storms with engineering precision, deploying the most modern tools available, otherwise the return on investments will be literally ’carried away by the wind’.
It is a great help in this effort that our team started developing and producing solar panel supporting structures at that time with already decades of engineering experience, so we could provide an outstanding support from the very first moment, which is a significant added value for our customers, based on their feedback too. This can make an extremely big difference at a market where there are several foreign producers who do not provide any additional services to their products, and in parallel with this they put responsibilities due to potential problems and damages on customers and installers. By contrast, FLINS systems do not only include an extensive technical documentation and installation manuals, but our experts also take care of the professional installation on request, or they hand over panel allocation and anchoring, weighting plans to our customers tailor-made to the given location. We rely on the above-mentioned wind simulations in the truly lifelike making of the latter, among other things.
Our solar panel supporting structures cannot be surprised during use
During the virtual inspections we get exact and realistic results on what forces affect each point of the structure at a given location under the most diverse circumstances within a short time after providing and changing all relevant parameters (wind direction, angle of inclination of the panels, arrangement method, terrain obstacles etc.). This does not only define safe design, but it clearly shows the necessary degree and method of the anchoring in the case of ground mounted DuoSol and the ballasting in the case of flat roof mounted TopSol,.
As time goes by the modelling becomes increasingly efficient and accurate as more and more data become available by means of the various simulations. As a result of this we know what to expect even in the case of unusual locations and building types: for example, a short time ago we optimised the weighting of FLINS solar panel supporting structures installed at the top of a more than 40-metre tall water tower with a modern software.
What are our partners’ benefits from our research and development?
This preparation of engineering sophistication is necessary among other things to declare: our customers can be assured in the case of both the ground-mounted and the flat roof mounted solar panel supporting structures that they withstand the forces of the up to 130 km/h wind gusts, and further weather conditions, which can be expected in Hungary in the foreseeable future.
In addition to the maximisation of safety, our professional analyses highlight what the minimum number of concrete slabs used for weighting is which keeps the system impeccably stable. This is not a marginal aspect from the point of view of the costs and the weight mounted on the roof. The field of optimisation also includes the fact that seeing the results of flow analyses we could omit complete elements (e.g. wind deflectors) from the structure without any risks. With this we can enhance one of the biggest virtues of FLINS products, namely simplicity and the associated easy and fast assembly besides cost reduction.
Wind simulations ’fine-tuning’ our structures in many ways also constitute an important part of the first class engineering support mentioned in the prologue, and we need them to boldly declare: the solutions of FlexInSheet Kft. are regarded as the most sophisticated products at the market, which are prepared for present needs as well as future challenges.
