Wind loads greatly affect the mechanical performance and tracking accuracy of heliostats. Therefore, the wind load must be accurately known to assure the operational reliability of heliostats. A simple wind load model was developed based on experiments on an actual heliostat rather than a wind tunnel heliostat model. The tested factors include the strain in the pedestal and the wind velocity at different heights. The test results were used to develop a mathematical wind load model for use in a finite element analysis of the heliostat. The finite element results agree with the experimental data: therefore, this experimental method provides a reference for wind-resistance designs of heliostats. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.