Standards Development

Scope

This standard specifies the design principles and technical requirements for the cable supported structure of photovoltaic system. It outlines the basic requirements for design, material selection, and reliability verification of the cable supported structure. This standard is applicable to the design qualification of cable supported structure for photovoltaic system.

Purpose

As the global installed capacity of photovoltaic system continues to increase, the issues such as the scarcity of land resources, rising land costs, and complex terrain are becoming increasingly prominent. The cable supported structure of photovoltaic systems, with its high clearance, large span, and the ability to increasethe installed capacity of PV power plants by 30%-50% in different scenarios, fully utilizes the space beneath the panels to truly achieve the "PV+" advantage.

The cable supported structure of photovoltaic systems is a multi-span structure, which stretches prestressed steel strands between fixed points at both ends. The fixed points use a rigid structure, and external inclined rods provide supporting counterforces, forming a stable structural system.

This system has seen widespread application in various scenarios, including mountainous areas for agrivoltaics, fish pond PV integration, desert and wasteland reclamation, and commercial and industrial distributed PV systems with gradually replacing traditional fixed bracket in many scenarios. Nearly 4GW of cable supported structure of photovoltaic systems have been mounted and implemented in China. The first standard refer to design and installation of cable supported structure of photovoltaic systems had been published as a Chinese group standard T/CPIA 0047-2023. It is necessary to prepare an IEC standard of cable supported structure to fulfil the potential need of various users and global market.

This standard can guide the design and evaluation of cable supported structure of photovoltaic systems, which will promote foundational theoretical research a d the application of technology in the field of cable supported PV mount structures. The design, manufacturing, and application of cable supported structure of photovoltaic systems will become more standardized and efficient, further advancing the healthy development of the photovoltaic industry.