Are Solar Panels Susceptible To Hail Damage

But if you live in an area where large hail is common there are a few things you can do to minimize your risk.

Are solar panels susceptible to hail damage.

Solar panels and hail. Solar panels are strong enough to resist damage from most hail. Water damage can also occur when the seals on the panels deteriorate as the panels age. Poor quality solar panels are particularly susceptible to damage.

We take our high speed camera to the westpak testing facility where we fire balls of ice at different velocit. This can result in shattering of the panels or even micro cracks. Although made from laminated glass hail falling between 30 100km is hard to withstand. 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 panels are designed to withstand weather including hail and thunderstorms. 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. However just like your car windscreen can sometimes get damaged by extreme hail the same can happen to your panels. Solar panels and hail damage can happen in the blink of an eye.

One of these is iec 61215 which involves accelerated stress tests to see how well the module holds up under heat cold wind humidity uv light and mechnical stress including hail. Solar panels are made with very durable tempered glass that is impact tested to withstand strikes of greater than 50 miles per hour. As we mentioned earlier solar panels are also very susceptible to water damage in the event that the panels are scratched or chipped. Unusually large hail storms can indeed damage solar panels but solar panels are designed and engineered to generally withstand hail the size of golf balls or smaller.

Solar panels can get damaged in a number of ways one of the most obvious is hail falling trees and flying debris in a storm. Solar panel manufacturers test their products to ensure that they are capable of withstanding hail storms. How much hail damage can a solar panel endure.