Super typhoon Ragasa devastates solar and wind farms in southern China

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Typhoon Ragasa tore through China's Guangdong province last week, crippling solar and wind assets and exposing weaknesses in cost-cutting design standards.</span></p><p>Super Typhoon Ragasa, the 18th storm of the season in China, struck Guangdong province on Sept. 24, making landfall near Yangjiang with sustained winds exceeding 60.2 meters per second. Classified as level 17, the storm held above level 12 winds for nearly ten hours, making it the strongest typhoon to hit the city in recent years.</p>
<p>The storm caused extensive damage to solar energy infrastructure. At the 1,700-acre Xinye photovoltaic plant in Yangdong District, which began operation in 2015 with expected annual output of 57 GWh, staff estimated that more than half of the modules were destroyed. Many panels were twisted, torn apart, or blown from their frames.</p>
<p>Floating solar arrays installed on fishponds with flexible support structures were hit particularly hard. Reports indicated that about 60% of modules in one project were dislodged, while the remainder vibrated dangerously in the wind. Rooftop systems in cities and industrial areas also failed, with panels and frames collapsing and debris falling onto nearby vehicles.</p>
<p>Wind farms faced severe losses as well. In East Ping Town, at least five utility-scale turbines snapped in half. The site has 109 turbines in total with capacity of about 179 MW.</p>
<p>Analysts attributed the scale of damage to three factors. First, many projects were built to cost-conscious design standards that did not anticipate such extreme winds. While standard specifications cover winds at levels 12 to 14, Ragasa far exceeded those limits. Some builders cut steel usage in coastal sites to about 32 to 34 tonnes per MW, compared to the recommended 40 tonnes, undermining structural resilience.</p>
<p>Second, flexible or lightweight racking systems increased vibration effects, exposing weaknesses in joints, clamps, and anchoring. Third, heavy rainfall caused flooding in cable trenches, damaging electrical components and raising risks of short circuits and insulation failure.</p>
<p>Recovery efforts are underway. Disaster-index insurance in Yangjiang was triggered, with insurers advancing CNY 4.2 million ($589,000) in preliminary payouts. The National Development and Reform Commission allocated CNY 200 million in central funds for reconstruction, prioritizing public utilities and infrastructure. Solar operators have begun assessing losses and mobilizing repair crews from nearby regions.</p>