gaps between the panels may provide advantages for preventing evaporation but potentially at the expense of additional forces exerted on the array during windy conditions since airflow can be trapped against the array particularly along long stretches of an array installation by adopting at least some gaps through the array differential air pressures may be better controlled with respect to the groups of solar panels located at each lateral side 45 of the array it may also be desirable to configure the panels in a downward sloping fashion such as shown in the fig1 in order to create an airfoil effect that will direct some airflow over the array by balancing air pressures under and over the array this helps to prevent damage to the array during high wind conditions since the array adopts an airfoil configuration additional considerations for determining a desired density of the solar panels include whether there is a need to provide sunlight for vegetation growing under or adjacent to the columns foundations it may be desirable to plant vegetation under the array adjacent the columns foundations in order to help stabilize the soil in those areas fig5 illustrates a smaller exemplary span yet one that still may incorporate gaps 44 in order to account for wind loads or other loading considerations in contrast to the embodiment of fig4 a reduced number of solar arrays are located in the center of the array.