How Strong Are Solar Panels Against Hail

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.

How strong are solar panels against hail. Solar panels and hail damage can happen in the blink of an eye. The resilience of solar panels to hail is largely due to high quality tempered glass usually around 3 4mm thick. Modern panels rarely use glass. Even if damage occurs the glass doesn t shatter into sharp shards but breaks into smaller pieces that retain form.

Solar panel covers most manufacturers produce some type of waterproof cover that s made out of durable cloth for solar panels on rvs and homes but none seem to offer hard solar panel covers which is what would be needed in order to prevent damage. 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. The truth is solar panels undergo various hail tests from their manufacturers and industry experts agree that most solar panels can withstand golf ball sized hail.

As with any component the quality of tempered glass used in various brands of solar panels can vary. Are solar panels strong. Solar panels and hail. Most brands will insure the solar panels against high winds based on the solar panel s wind rating and hail up to one inch in diameter.

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. This type of glass is designed to withstand a direct vertical impact of hail up to 1 inch in diameter travelling at 50 miles per hour. Most solar panels are fitted with tempered glass and considered to be reasonably hail resistant. Industry standards trust for solar panels over one million households now run on solar.

1 this is proof that residential homeowners continue to look toward alternative energy and also proof that they trust the technology itself. For such large hail one option might be to pole mount the panels then tilt them up to full vertical when serious hail is predicted takes about 5 minutes 2 people and a wrench. The top layer of a solar panel is covered in tempered glass and believe it or not it s surprisingly strong. Solar panel manufacturers test their products to ensure that they are capable of withstanding hail storms.

This will put the faces out of harms way. Most panels are designed to withstand most ordinary hail. But if you live in an area where large hail is common there are a few things you can do to minimize your risk.