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.

As we mentioned earlier solar panels are also very susceptible to water damage in the event that the panels are scratched or chipped. Solar panels are made with very durable tempered glass that is impact tested to withstand strikes of greater than 50 miles per hour. Hail tests and certifications for solar panels. 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 can get damaged in a number of ways one of the most obvious is hail falling trees and flying debris in a storm. Solar panels and hail. Water damage can also occur when the seals on the panels deteriorate as the panels age. 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. With hail season in full swing protect your solar panels from hail damage to keep their energy supply in working condition. 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. 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.

Solar panels and hail damage can happen in the blink of an eye. However just like your car windscreen can sometimes get damaged by extreme hail the same can happen to your panels. This can result in shattering of the panels or even micro cracks. 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.

Although made from laminated glass hail falling between 30 100km is hard to withstand. Solar panels are strong enough to resist damage from most hail. We take our high speed camera to the westpak testing facility where we fire balls of ice at different velocit.