Seismic Design Considerations for the Installation of Photovoltaic Systems on Flat Reinforced Concrete Roofs: A Case Study in Ecuador

Recent earthquakes have reported a significant loss toll due to damage to buildings’ structural and non-structural elements. Although non-structural components do not directly affect the structure's integrity, their seismic response is one of the most crucial facts in reducing or extending the function recovery time of a building. Since the current Ecuadorian Construction Standard lacks seismic design provisions for these elements, such as photovoltaic systems, this study seeks to establish minimum requirements to guarantee the proper installation of photovoltaic systems on flat roofs of reinforced concrete buildings. For this purpose, a case study in Sangolquí, Ecuador, is selected to propose a photovoltaic system defined by the size of the roof area, a worst-case load combination scenario, and the maximum possible number of solar panels. As a result, international design standards are adapted, representing a starting point for Ecuador.