Home Solar Panels And Hail

Unfortunately there s little you can do to protect your solar panels from the damaging hail when a storm hits.

Home solar panels and hail. Hail storms can wreak havoc on your home and solar panels. Solar panels and hail damage can happen in the blink of an eye. Here s a video of what that testing looks like. Solar panels are designed to withstand one inch hail flying at 51 miles per hour.

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. That includes many hail storms over the years we have had solar panels installed in alberta since 2001 many of them bringing golf ball sized hail or larger. 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. Learn more about your potential savings in our design studio.

One inch hail about the size of a quarter is considered severe by the nws so your panels should survive even severe hailstorms just fine. 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. Solar panel manufacturers test their products to ensure that they are capable of withstanding hail storms. Like with your home s roof your solar panels are a permanent fixture to your home.

According to the national renewable energy laboratory nrel most panels can hold up to most any hail storm or hurricane force winds for that matter. Up until a couple weeks ago we would tell people we ve never seen a solar module panel being damaged from hail. A solar module or panel that is installed properly and tilted to face south should never break from hail. Purchase solar at the lowest price of any national provider with tesla s price match guarantee and take control of your monthly electricity bill.

But use your best judgement if it looks like your solar panels are dirty or you can see a lot of stuff on them get to cleaning. Use solar energy to power your home and reduce your dependence on the grid. The answer is yes. Solar panels and hail damage may fall under your home insurance policy too.

While hail certainly could damage some types of solar panels the likelihood is very small and occurrences are extremely rare. For the most part no. Many solar electric modules and solar hot water collectors are made. In fact a 2017 hailstorm in denver that caused severe damage across the city proved the durability of solar panels.