Will Hail Damage 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.

Will hail damage solar panels.

However just like your car windscreen can sometimes get damaged by extreme hail the same can happen to your panels. Solar panels and hail. In the spirit of making the world a greener place many people continue to look for alternative energy sources to run their vehicles and heat and cool their homes. Hail speed size and hardness are non constant variables but solar panels have a line of protection from hail damage.

If a thunderstorm starts spitting baseball sized hail from the sky there are few structures that will escape unharmed including solar panels. Silicon solar cells will fracture and crack under pressure so it is common that manufacturers install a protective housing around the solar cells. Solar panel manufacturers test their products to ensure that they are capable of withstanding hail storms. 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.

Mother nature will always find a way to cause trouble however the most noteworthy panel replacement are has had to take care of was due to people not the weather. Solar panels are designed to withstand weather including hail and thunderstorms. For solar electricity consider using thin film or amorphous photovoltaic panels. The substrate is a flexible plastic material and highly resistant to damage from rocks or hail.

The june 2018 storm that dropped tennis ball sized hail across the northern front range finally cracked select west facing panels. It took nearly a decade before are solar has had to replace a panel due to hail damage. Solar panels which in residential use generally means a collection or array of photovoltaic pv modules are one green energy source. Poor quality solar panels are particularly susceptible to damage.

Buying stronger solar panels. Hail damage and your solar panels. With hail season in full swing protect your solar panels from hail damage to keep their energy supply in working condition. 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.