pv magazine Webinar | Safety concerns for single-axis tracker PV plants

Extreme weather has been a concern for single-axis tracker solar projects for years. High winds, hailstorms, and heavy snow can all test the resilience of single-axis tracker PV plants, and when these events occur in combination, the challenges multiply.
In this pv magazine Webinar, we will bring together three experts from across the solar value chain to discuss how to design, test, and operate plants that can withstand nature’s extremes.

Pedro Magalhães, general manager, EU & North American markets at tracker manufacturer Arctech, will share insights into how his company has developed flat-stow strategies to protect modules during high winds. This marks a departure from the more common steep-stow approach. We will ask what drove this innovation, how it was achieved, and how it changes plant design options.

Parsa Enshaei, associate principal at wind testing specialist CPP, will explain the aerodynamic forces, damping, and stiffness considerations that determine whether flat or steep stow is optimal. He will also outline how tracker designs are tested and certified, and what this means for project bankability.

From the module perspective, Andy You, solutions engineer at Jinko Solar, will discuss how IEC wind load standards translate into practice, whether stow strategy influences module failure risks, and what module-specific factors should be considered in tracker selection.
The discussion will also address how to prioritize stow positions when multiple extreme weather threats occur simultaneously and what this means for warranties and long-term reliability.

pv magazine Webinar content:
• High-wind mitigation strategies: comparing flat vs. steep tracker stow positions and their impact on structural loads and module safety.
• Tracker design flexibility and certification: how different configurations can be combined, tested, and bankability verified.
• Module design considerations: understanding IEC wind load limits in practice and aligning module choice with tracker strategy.
• Managing multiple extreme weather events: prioritizing stow positions when wind, hail, and snow risks overlap, and the implications for warranties.

Join us in for a discussion with takeaways for project developers, EPCs, and investors.
The webinar will be moderated by Marian Willuhn, senior editor at pv magazine.
Participation for this webinar is free of charge.