Are Solar Panels Susceptible To Hail Damage

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.

Are solar panels susceptible to hail damage.

Solar panels are designed to withstand weather including hail and thunderstorms. Solar panels are made with very durable tempered glass that is impact tested to withstand strikes of greater than 50 miles per hour. With hail season in full swing protect your solar panels from hail damage to keep their energy supply in working condition. Solar panels are strong enough to resist damage from most hail.

Solar panels and hail damage can happen in the blink of an eye. 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. 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.

Hail tests and certifications for solar panels. Solar panels and hail. 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. However just like your car windscreen can sometimes get damaged by extreme hail the same can happen to your panels.

Solar panel manufacturers test their products to ensure that they are capable of withstanding hail storms. But if you live in an area where large hail is common there are a few things you can do to minimize your risk. Although made from laminated glass hail falling between 30 100km is hard to withstand. Poor quality solar panels are particularly susceptible to damage.

In order for a solar panel to be approved by the california energy commission there are a number of certification tests that it must pass. Water damage can also occur when the seals on the panels deteriorate as the panels age. As we mentioned earlier solar panels are also very susceptible to water damage in the event that the panels are scratched or chipped.