Home Solar Panels Hail Damage

Solar panel manufacturers test their products to ensure that they are capable of withstanding hail storms.

Home solar panels hail damage.

Solar panels are designed to withstand weather including hail and thunderstorms. Poor quality solar panels are particularly susceptible to damage. However just like your car windscreen can sometimes get damaged by extreme hail the same can happen to your panels. Installing smaller solar panels can reduce the damage caused during a hail storm.

Solar panels and hail damage can happen in the blink of an eye. You can reduce the loss of energy output by reducing the size of the solar panels. Before you decide to go with solar panels you should do some research. Many solar electric modules and solar hot water collectors are made.

In short yes hail can damage solar panels and most home insurance policies cover that damage. First because the panels are installed at an angle they usually only receive a glancing blow from hailstones. Any solar panel you install on your home today is rated to withstand severe hail but there are extreme hail events that can damage even the strongest panels. In may of 2017 a particularly intense hail storm tore through the front range.

However the chances of hail actually damaging panels is slim to none. The solar cells that conduct the energy are covered with protective glass which can break under certain conditions including hail storms. Study your situation. If a thunderstorm starts spitting baseball sized hail from the sky there are few structures that will escape unharmed including solar panels.

In most cases solar panels are tested and certified to withstand hail of up to 25 mm one inch falling at 23 meters per second approximately 50 miles per hour. When it comes to home use the pv panels usually sit on the roof where they remain exposed to the elements. This is because if one part of a solar panel is damaged the energy output loss is considerable and almost as if you lost the entire panel.