StormLock System - protection against hurricanes

The challenge of extremes - roofs in the face of climate change

The power of nature can be unpredictable and destructive. In recent years, we have seen a marked increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in Europe. The data is alarming - only in the last five years there has been a series of record winds that have caused massive damage to infrastructure and buildings.

Take the example of the 2023 storm Ciaran, which brought winds of up to 200 km/h in Brittany. The damage was catastrophic - broken roofs, uprooted trees, damaged power lines. And this was not an isolated case. Hurricane Eunice in 2022 hit northern Europe with winds exceeding 190 km/h, and the strongest wind in the history of the city was measured at London Airport - 196 km/h.

It is especially worrying that the zones of occurrence of strong winds begin to shift. Areas that historically have not experienced extreme winds suddenly become exposed to them. This makes traditional design solutions no longer sufficient.

The most vulnerable to destruction are standard photovoltaic installations. Why? The supporting structure on which the panels are mounted creates a space between the modules and the roof. This gap acts as a trap for the wind - air entering under the panels creates a load-bearing force, similar to that which lifts the wings of an airplane. In extreme conditions, this can lead to the tearing of the entire structure from the roof, causing not only the destruction of the installation itself, but also serious damage to the roofing.

It was this problem that became the starting point for the development of the StormLock system - a technology that completely changes the approach to the safety of solar roofs. Instead of fighting against the forces of nature, we decided to use the knowledge of how these forces work.

Inspiration straight from the sky

The solution to the problem came from an unexpected side - from the aviation industry. This is where engineers have been working for decades to understand and control aerodynamic forces. Every aircraft must be designed to withstand extreme loads during flight, while at the same time using airflow to its advantage.

In StormLock System, we used the same principle, but reversed it. While the aircraft uses the shape of the wings to generate lift, our system is designed to minimize all aerodynamic forces acting on the roof. The key is to completely eliminate the space between the photovoltaic modules and the roof structure.

How does it work in practice? eTile modules are integrated directly into the roofing, forming a single, monolithic surface. All edges are carefully profiled so that the wind “glides” along them, not finding any anchor point. This is a radical change compared to traditional photovoltaic installations, where any gap and protruding element can become a critical point during a strong wind.

The special design of the mounting system provides not only a reliable connection with the roof structure, but also a uniform distribution of all forces over the entire surface. Thanks to this, even during extreme weather conditions, when the wind hits the roof with tremendous force, the load is distributed over a larger area, significantly reducing the risk of damage.

Moreover, the system is designed for different wind directions. Traditional installations are most at risk of damage when the wind blows from the side of the roof eaves - it can then easily get under the panels and tear them out of the mounts. The StormLock System eliminates this threat by tightly integrating the modules into the roof covering and special edge profiles that direct the air flow over the roof surface.

It is worth emphasizing that all the technology was developed using advanced computer simulations of airflow - the same tools that are used in aircraft design. Thanks to this, we were able to anticipate and eliminate potential problems even at the design stage, before the system went to the first customers.

From tests to reality

The theory is one thing, but the real test for any technology is real-world testing. The StormLock system has undergone a series of rigorous tests under the most demanding conditions imaginable. Let's start with impressive numbers: our modules withstand a load of up to 5400 Pa, which corresponds not only to extreme gusts of wind, but also to the weight of several tens of centimeters of snow.

In a specialized wind tunnel, the system was subjected to winds of more than 200 km/h - this is more than during the strongest hurricanes recorded in Europe. Importantly, the tests were conducted at different wind angles, simulating real conditions when the direction of the blast changes sharply during a storm. The system has proven its effectiveness in every scenario.

But the real test came with a series of extreme weather events that have hit Europe in recent years. Take the example of Storm Sabine in 2020, which brought winds of up to 177 km/h in the German Black Forest. While traditional photovoltaic installations in the region suffered severe damage, roofs equipped with the StormLock system remained intact.

The same was the case during Hurricane Fryderyk, which reached Poland with winds exceeding 130 km/h, and on Śnieżka there were gusts of up to 168 km/h. These extreme conditions were a real test for our technology - and once again the system proved its reliability.

What is particularly important, the StormLock System not only protects the photovoltaic modules themselves, but also ensures the integrity of the entire roof. In traditional solutions, damage to the photovoltaic system often leads to serious damage to the roofing. In our system, thanks to the full integration of modules with the roof, such a risk practically does not exist.

Experience from real installations shows that investing in the StormLock system is not only the protection of the photovoltaic system itself, but above all the peace of mind of homeowners. At a time when extreme weather events are becoming more common, this technology provides security you can rely on — no matter what the weather brings.

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