Can Solar Panels Survive A Colorado Hail Storm?
A common question that most Colorado homeowners have when thinking about solar.. Is “what happens to solar panels when it hails?” It’s a great question because you wouldn’t want to make the switch to solar only to have the next Colorado hail storm ruin your solar system. In this article, we’ll take a look at how solar panels hold up to hail and if you should worry.
Can Solar Panels Survive In Colorado’s Weather?
As with any outdoor equipment your solar panels live in the elements being subject to Colorado’s rainstorms, snow storms, wind, and even hail. The good news is that most solar panels are made from extremely durable materials and they’re designed to survive in the elements for 25+ years. At Green Collar Crew we do the research to ensure that we only work with the best manufactures that provide you with the most advanced and most durable products available.
Will My Solar Panels Survive A Hail Storm?
As mentioned before we only choose top-quality products that are proven to be durable anywhere in Colorado. This means that you don’t need to worry about hail damaging your solar panels. The panels we choose are proven to withstand large hail and are likely more durable than your roof. If the hail storm is severe enough to damage any of your solar panels then your roof is likely going to be severely damaged as well. Allowing you to make a claim with your homeowner’s insurance to get new solar panels and a new roof at the same time. However, it is always recommended to check with your insurance company to ensure your new solar system is covered.
In fact, back in 2017, the Denver area was hit with a pretty severe hail storm with golf ball-sized hail leaving thousands of cars and roofs damaged. After the storm had passed the National Renewable Energy Laboratory whose main campus is located in Golden, Colorado set out to examine the damage. They looked at their 3,000+ solar panels powering their building and just one panel was broken.1 It seems that the one broken panel was hit multiple times in the exact same place causing small cracks in the glass.
While solar panels are not indestructible they are designed to withstand some of the harshest weather that Colorado has to offer. After all, the goal of switching to solar is to save you money, provide energy independence, and give you peace of mind.
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This means that you don’t need to worry about the solar panels on your roof if you see that a hail storm is on its way. If you’ve been in your house during a few hail storms and your roof has never been damaged then that means that your solar panels would’ve been just fine as well.
1:https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/hail-no-national-labs-solar-panels-survive-severe-storm