As Saskatchewan's best solar panel providers, we’ll educate you about how hail can affect your solar panels and how to prevent damage.People who don't know the difference occasionally compare hail to snowfalls, but it's not the case. If you live where hailstorms often occur, you should be familiar with the cold lump. As hail forms at a higher altitude, it is usually icier than snow. In the most severe conditions, they can also be quite harmful.
Given how deadly hailstorms can be, many property owners ask if hail may damage their solar panels. Hail can cause damage to solar panels. They can, however, only cause harm depending on the severity of the hailstorm. Moreover, if you have solar panels installed by reliable and accredited solar panel installers Saskatoon such as Sundawg Solar, there are chances they have already hail-proofed solar panels. They build solar panels according to the needs of the weather in your area.
Perhaps you would like to understand more about how hail can harm your solar panels. In that case, this post will go through the size of hail that might damage a solar panel, if your insurance will cover hail damage, and how to spot one.
Will Hailstorm Damage My Solar Panels
Canada, particularly the area around Saskatoon and the rest of Saskatchewan, cannot go a year without experiencing some form of hail. These panels are built to last, and the majority of the front face is made of glass.
The glass will be exposed to the elements with no cover or protection above it. Hail may be extremely damaging, destroying entire crops, totalling vehicles, and destroying siding and shingles. So what distinguishes solar panels? For starters, solar panels are built to last. Tempered glass is used instead of plastic or standard plate glass. Tempered glass is far more impact resistant than regular glass. It can withstand strikes at twice the speed that conventional glass would break.
Fortunately, solar panels are subjected to intensive testing for better endurance during adverse weather conditions before manufacturers release them. As a result, solar panels are resistant to high winds, rain, and hail.
Solar panels are often weather-resistant in addition to being hail-proof. As a result, they can withstand the majority of weather-related stress without collapsing. This is due to the incredibly robust glass and aluminum casing of a panel.
What Size Hailstone Damage A Solar Panel?
Solar panels frequently experience damage from hail greater than 2 inches in size, despite reports of hail of various sizes harming vehicles and solar panels in Canada. Most solar panels are hail-resistant. As a result, they have been shown to withstand hail with diameters ranging from 1 inch to 1.75 inches at speeds ranging from 25 to 40 miles per hour.
The particle size must be greater than or equal to 0.2 inches to be classified as hail. Little hailstorms of this size will cause no severe damage to your solar panels.
How Can You Keep Your Solar Panels Safe From Hail?
Even though solar panels are mostly built to resist the average amount of hail in your area. However, here are some additional helpful hints for protecting your solar panels from hail damage.
Inspect Your Panels After A Hailstorm
Check your solar panels after a large hailstorm to see whether any debris has accumulated on them for an extended period. This reduces the strain on the solar panels and any negative consequences they may have. As a result, this is something you should consider if you reside in an area where hailstorms occur frequently.
Make sure your solar panels are situated on a slope that allows hail to readily fall off. If you are aware of the direction of hail storms and winds in your area, make sure your solar panels are installed appropriately to avoid damage.
Make Use Of A Protective Cover
A protective cover is a great technique to keep hail off your solar panels and can survive for more than ten years.
Protective covers are incredibly durable and powerful enough to withstand any impact. It can also withstand hailstorms and other harsh weather conditions. It is crucial to realize that there are numerous solar panel protection covers available on the market.
However, not all of them are suitable for protecting panels from hail. As a result, when choosing the proper one, exercise caution.
Fix The Placement Of The Panels
Making sure that hail does not accumulate on your solar panels for an extended period is a simple approach to protecting them. Install your solar panels at a 45-degree angle, as this helps slide snow off and disallows more surface area for hail to impact. This reduces the strain on the solar panels and any negative consequences they may have. As a result, if you reside in an area where hailstorms occur frequently, this is something you should consider.
Make sure your solar panels are situated on a slope that allows hail to readily fall off. If you are aware of the direction of hail storms and winds in your area, make sure your solar panels are installed appropriately to avoid damage.
Conclusion
Solar panels, in general, are designed to endure hailstorms, and they have also been tested to meet industry requirements. However, in particularly violent hailstorms, hail can cause damage to solar panels. This is why taking precautions can dramatically lessen the likelihood of injury.
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