Learn about hail damage and its effect on solar panels
While hail damage to solar panels is uncommon, hail that is coming down "large and fast" can cause panels to crack.
Hail damage can cause a solar panel's performance to diminish.
Reading your inverter panel and checking visually for damage will help you know if damage has occurred following a hailstorm.
If hail damage allows water or debris to enter the panel, it can malfunction or fail prematurely. Damaged solar panels can even cause fire risks.
Getting solar panels installed puts you one step closer to energy independence at your home. However, you may be wondering how your panels will fare in a storm. Can hail damage solar panels? Here's what you need to know about solar panels and hail damage.
Yes, hail can damage solar panels. However, this is a rare occurrence unless your home is in an area where hail is common. For homeowners in places like Texas and Colorado, more frequent storms that create hailstones do create potential worries. While one might think that larger hailstones create bigger risks, it's the speed of hail that's the concern with solar panels. With hail traveling at speeds ranging from 10 miles per hour to 90 miles per hour, it's possible for impact to damage solar panels.
Hail can also damage roofing materials on roofs with solar panels. Can hail damage a metal roof? While hail can damage all types of roofing, metal roofs are far more resilient to hail compared to shingled, tiled, or shake roofs. Any denting that occurs on a metal roof is likely to be cosmetic. When inspecting your roof for hail damage, it's important to know the difference between roof blistering vs. hail damage to ensure that you're not mistaking existing blemishes for fresh hail damage.
Almost all solar panels sold today are coated in tempered glass. While tempered glass offers a good degree of protection against damage, it's not 100% impervious to hail impact. The delayed "cracking" of tempered glass also means that you'll need to check back anywhere from a few hours to a few days after a hailstorm to confirm that your panels are still intact even if you didn't notice any damage immediately. Here's a look at the different ways hail can compromise solar panels.
If the tempered glass on a solar panel does crack, the panel's internal solar cells and other components could also be damaged by hail impact. It's possible that a solar panel's damaged tempered glass will only form small cracks or surface-level scratches after sustaining storm damage. While the panel is technically intact, the internal components could still be at risk.
If a solar panel is damaged by hail, it will probably still continue to work. However, cracks that affect solar modules could reduce efficiency dramatically. In order to test a panel's current voltage against peak voltage, a voltmeter is required.
Cracks left unattended will eventually allow moisture and debris to become trapped within the panel. This can result in several serious problems. The first is that moisture and debris can cause a panel to fail prematurely. They can also generate hot spots within panels that can trigger a fire at your home.
Your solar system's inverter is a good place to start. Household inverters are typically installed next to a subboard or main switchboard in a garage or near a home's meter box. If any of your panels have sustained hail damage, the inverter is likely to detect it. Any alerts labeled as "ground fault" or "earth fault" will let you know that damage has occurred.
Next, conduct a simple visual inspection of your panels to check for any smashed or shattered panels. Only do this from a distance. If you climb up to your roof, you could risk coming into contact with damaged panels that are leaking voltage.
Most solar panels can endure harsh winters and extreme weather, but they’re not impervious to damage. You can take a few steps to avoid hail damage, whether or not you expect an incoming storm.
Solar panels are tested to ensure they can hold up to harsh weather. Though thin film panels have a lower hail rating, most monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels can withstand 25 millimeter (about 1-inch) hail falling at 50 miles per hour. The top-rated panels can withstand one- to three-inch hail falling at up to 88 miles per hour.
The best solar panels for hail storms carry a UL 61730 or IEC 61730 rating. These ratings are provided by two separate organizations: Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL), which sets the North American standard, and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), which sets the global standard.
Methacrylate is a spray-on monomer that helps protect solar panels against impact damage. It is a delicate process, since too much of the film can lower your panel’s efficiency. Instead of going the DIY route, hire a professional who repairs solar panels.
If you expect a storm, you can protect your solar panels with a temporary cover. You can either purchase hardshell covers or padded fabric covers, but you’ll need to put them on your panels yourself before a severe storm.
This is only a good solution for systems with a backup battery or those that can run off of the existing electrical grid. When your panels are covered, they won’t generate electricity. It’s also a potential hazard to climb up on your roof to install and remove the covers.
You need to position your panels correctly or they’re more likely to lose efficiency and sustain damage from harsh weather. A local solar panel pro will consider the best angle for peak electricity production and storm protection based on a number of factors like your location, your climate, and the angle of your roof.
Ideally, panels should face the northern hemisphere at an angle between 30 degrees and 45 degrees. Precipitation should be able to roll off the panels rather than accumulate and damage them.
Cleaning your solar panels, repairing components, and trimming surrounding trees will keep your system operating smoothly. Check regularly for debris and tree branches and get a professional inspection every year. A solar panel repair pro can get your system in tip-top shape.
Stick to a maintenance schedule. Most solar panels require maintenance two to four times a year. This includes cleaning your panels to maintain efficiency, tightening loose fasteners, monitoring damage, and having an annual inspection by a qualified pro.
It’s also important to remove and replace damaged solar panels so they don’t stress other parts of your system, like your solar inverter. On average, the cost to remove solar panels is $250 per panel. The cost of the new panel varies based on wattage.
A damaged panel will need to be replaced by a local solar installer. Check the warranty on your solar panels to see if hail damage is covered. However, you should be aware that most warranties offered by solar panel installers don't cover hail damage. If your provider does cover hail, it's likely listed under the category of "environmental factors."
If your solar company doesn't cover hail damage, there's a good chance that your homeowners insurance does cover hail damage for solar panels if the panels are installed on the roof. Panels that are mounted to the ground or installed on structures other than your home generally require a separate policy. Contact your insurance provider to learn how a solar panel damage claim works. If hail has damaged the roofing beneath or around your solar panels, hail damage roof repair cost ranges from $375 to $7,500, and you can reach out to a local hail damage repair company.
