How Does Hail Affect Solar Panels

In canberra hailstorms battered cars houses greenhouses and solar panels.

How does hail affect solar panels. In fact a 2017 hailstorm in denver that caused severe damage across the city proved the durability of solar panels. Solar panels and hurricanes with high wind speeds and heavy rain solar panels may be at risk of being dislodged from their spot or damaged by high volumes of water. Co realestate muscle on instagram in short yes hail can damage solar panels and most home insurance policies cover that damage. Solar panels and hail damage can happen in the blink of an eye.

Hail may be an impressive physical force but solar panels are well equipped to withstand impacts even from large hailstones. With hail season in full swing protect your solar panels from hail damage to keep their energy supply in working condition. Picture the testing process. While the potential for hail damage occurring on a solar panel is certainly not out of the question it is a rare event.

While hail certainly could damage some types of solar panels the likelihood is very small and occurrences are extremely rare. Many solar electric modules and solar hot water collectors are made. In a laboratory environment ice balls are taken from a freezer and within a minute to minimize melting and therefore shrinking are propelled at different parts of a solar panel at approximately the speed of hail s terminal velocity 50 miles per hour. We spoke to our head of solar technologies dr greg wilson to get some answers.

What happens to solar power when you can t even see the sun. One minute the sun is shining bright across the lone star state then suddenly debris the size of golfballs rattles down and wreaks havoc that s often expensive and stressful to repair. However the chances of hail actually damaging panels is slim to none. So how do hailstorms dust storms and smoke affect your solar panel performance.

Fortunately most solar panels are rated to withstand hail up to an inch in diameter falling at 50 mph. On a daily basis. The national renewable energy laboratory nrel researchers also work diligently to develop quality tests to ensure that solar panels will survive harsh weather like in a hailstorm 3 and not just in the wet or rainy seasons.