{"id":1157,"date":"2019-01-25T22:01:47","date_gmt":"2019-01-25T22:01:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/?p=1157"},"modified":"2021-09-28T16:43:09","modified_gmt":"2021-09-28T16:43:09","slug":"can-solar-panels-be-damaged-by-hail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-damaged-by-hail\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Solar Panels be Damaged by Hail?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"1157\" class=\"elementor elementor-1157\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-79f15fb lead-section elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"79f15fb\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f35e441\" data-id=\"f35e441\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cabd188 article-title elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cabd188\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Can Solar Panels be Damaged By Hail?<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-8344977 toc-and-author-bio-section elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8344977\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-355222f left-column\" data-id=\"355222f\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e18556a table-of-contents elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"e18556a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_55 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Page Contents<\/p>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-damaged-by-hail\/#Hailstorms-%E2%80%93-A-Costly-Environmental-Phenomenon\" title=\"Hailstorms \u2013 A Costly Environmental Phenomenon\">Hailstorms \u2013 A Costly Environmental Phenomenon<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-damaged-by-hail\/#Quality-Tests-on-Solar-Panels\" title=\"Quality Tests on Solar Panels\">Quality Tests on Solar Panels<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-damaged-by-hail\/#The-NREL-Experience-Against-Hailstorms\" title=\"The NREL Experience Against Hailstorms\">The NREL Experience Against Hailstorms<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-damaged-by-hail\/#Can-My-Solar-Panel-Get-Damaged-by-Hailstones\" title=\"Can My Solar Panel Get Damaged by Hailstones?\">Can My Solar Panel Get Damaged by Hailstones?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-f5be844 right-column\" data-id=\"f5be844\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a975d97 author-bio elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"a975d97\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"name\": \"Carlos\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"url\": \"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/author\/carlos\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"image\": \"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c18d5a96d3725994be378321295fd4b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"jobTitle\": \"Author\"  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/script><p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"author-bio-avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c18d5a96d3725994be378321295fd4b?s=50&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g\" alt=\"Carlos\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\" \/><\/p><p class=\"author-bio-text\"><span class=\"written-by-text\">Written by<\/span> <span class=\"job-title\">qualified solar engineer<\/span> <span class=\"author-name\">Carlos<\/span><span class=\"written-by-period\">.<\/span> <span class=\"last-updated-text\">Last updated:<\/span> <time datetime=\"2021-09-28 16:43:09\">September 28, 2021<\/time><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4caed31 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4caed31\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b3770e9\" data-id=\"b3770e9\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ff3f74 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5ff3f74\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Solar Panels can be damaged by a heavy hailstorm, but it is not statistically probable. Manufacturers use quality tests that simulate the impact of hailstones to PV modules in order to ensure that solar panels will be able to resist hailstorms.<\/p>\n<p>In order to approach this topic properly, let\u2019s take a look at the procedure for these tests. This will give you a reference of the kind of hailstorms that solar panels are designed to endure, and it will tell you a very impressive story that occurred in one of the facilities of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. But first, let\u2019s see some of the locations in the US where you should be most careful with hailstorms.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hailstorms-%E2%80%93-A-Costly-Environmental-Phenomenon\"><\/span>Hailstorms \u2013 A Costly Environmental Phenomenon<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Hailstorms are one the most unpleasant weather conditions in nature. Large ice blocks that fall from the sky causing damage to cars, windows, roofs and more. Hailstorms can damage property, but they also can injure or even kill people if the size of the block is too big. Therefore, they are a pressing matter and problem &#8212; especially in some regions of the US.<\/p>\n<p>Historical cities for hailstorms inside the U.S. are Denver, Dallas, Minneapolis, St. Louis, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Phoenix. This phenomenon can be predicted, and is important to pay attention to weather forecasts especially if you are located in the cities mentioned above. To check hailstorm forecasts across the US, you can go to <a href=\"https:\/\/hail.org\/national-radar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">hail.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The most costly hailstorm in US history fell in Phoenix, Arizona back in 2010, when up to baseball-size ice-blocks fell off the sky leading to almost $2.8 billion losses attributed to damages. San Antonio also had a bad time in 2016 with hailstones of grapefruits size that cost around 1.4 billion dollars. And recently in 2017, Minneapolis had a really bad week with a consistent storm with heavy hail that fell in the Metropolitan region costing up to $2.5 billion.<\/p>\n<p>As you can see, hailstorms can be costly, and the solar panels located in these regions are exposed to falling hailstones that could strike upon them and break them, right?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Quality-Tests-on-Solar-Panels\"><\/span>Quality Tests on Solar Panels<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Since outdoor conditions for solar panels can be harsh, solar panel manufacturers must submit their modules to quality tests that ensure <a href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/how-long-do-solar-panels-last\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">solar panels perform well over a 25-year period<\/a>, even at harsh environmental conditions.<\/p>\n<p>According to the jurisdiction and test center, several or different tests may be applied. However, in the US, the general references on this topic are the IEC 61215 and 61730 Standards, which specify the design qualification standards for module durability.<\/p>\n<p>These standards include the requirements and procedures for several tests related to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ultraviolet exposure using xenon lamps.<\/li>\n<li>Thermal Cycling (-40\u00b0C to 50\u00b0C, 50 cycles) in a climate chamber.<\/li>\n<li>Humidity freeze cycling.<\/li>\n<li>Damp heat (1000 hours at 85\u00b0C with 90% relative humidity).<\/li>\n<li>Twist test for torque resistance.<\/li>\n<li>Pressure tests considering snow, wind and other mechanical loads.<\/li>\n<li>Hot spot tests.<\/li>\n<li>Corrosion tests.<\/li>\n<li>Hail impact tests.<\/li>\n<li>PID resistance related to electrical isolation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>One of them is particularly interesting for our approach: the hail impact test. The purpose of this test is to precisely ensure that the glass of the solar panel will not crack against estimated or regular size hailstones.<\/p>\n<h3>Hail Test<\/h3>\n<p>The typical hail test involves using 25 mm ice balls thrown at 23 m\/s against the solar panel to 11 different spots. The path from the pneumatic cannon to the module can be modified as horizontal, vertical, or any other angle.<\/p>\n<p>Generally, the procedure involves storing these ice balls in a freezer at -10\u00b0C \u00a05\u00b0C, then the solar panel is put in place to adapt it to cold temperature conditions of the climate room. An ice ball is measured in a balance to determine the mass with an accuracy of \u00a02% along with another instrument to measure the speed of the ball with an accuracy of . Then, the ball is thrown and the module is checked with a slow-motion camera to verify if there was any detachment of the glass.<\/p>\n<p>This same procedure is repeated to shoot several ice-balls to the same module according to the following impact locations:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Shot 1<\/strong>: Any corner of the module window, not more than 50 mm from the aluminum frame.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shot 2:<\/strong> An edge of the module, not more than 50 mm from the aluminum frame.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shots 3 and 4:<\/strong> Near an electrical joint and over the edges of cells.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shots 5 and 6:<\/strong> Over points of minimum spacing between cells.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shots 7 and 8:<\/strong> On module window, less than 12 mm from one of the points at which the module is fixed to the supporting structure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shots 9 and 10:<\/strong> At points as farthest as possible from the points named above.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shot 11:<\/strong> Any other point that may seem sensible to hail impact.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/imagen.png.webp 534w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/imagen-300x129.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 534px) 100vw, 534px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/imagen.png\" height=\"229\" width=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/imagen.png 534w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/imagen-300x129.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 534px) 100vw, 534px\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1159 size-full sp-no-webp\" alt=\"explanation of the hail test and how it affected the solar panel when tested\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">Impact Locations of the Hail Test (Source \u2013 Saudi Arabian Standard IEC 61215)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The hail test can also take into account other ice-ball masses and speeds that can guarantee the module to be more durable against hailstorms.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/imagen-1.webp 540w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/imagen-1-300x80.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/imagen-1.png\" height=\"144\" width=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/imagen-1.png 540w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/imagen-1-300x80.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1160 size-full sp-no-webp\" alt=\"table with the hail test variations with different speeds and ice-ball masses\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">Hail Test variations with different speeds and ice-ball masses (Source \u2013 Saudi Arabian Standard IEC 61215)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In order to pass the test, the module must not show any evidence of visual defects after the impacts, the degradation of maximum power output cannot exceed 5% of the value measured before the test, and the insulation resistance must meet the same requirements as for the initial measurements.<\/p>\n<p>If you like to see how hail tests are performed, you can take a look at an outstanding hail test at 100 mph (twice as international standard requirements) from the new <a href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/tesla-solar-roof-cost\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tesla solar roof<\/a>, and at quality tests on solar panels from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=M6v2lDa8Hos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SolarWorld<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The-NREL-Experience-Against-Hailstorms\"><\/span>The NREL Experience Against Hailstorms<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We have seen the tests that solar panels need to endure under lab test experiments, but how do they behave against real-world conditions?<\/p>\n<p>This question remained unanswered until 2017 when a massive hailstorm fell upon Denver, Colorado with hailstones up to 2.75 inches (similar to the size of a big egg). This hailstorm turned out to be the costliest in the State\u2019s history and one of the costliest in US history, reaching $2.3 billion in damages.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hailstone-sizes-of-denvers-hailstorm-in-2017.webp 420w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hailstone-sizes-of-denvers-hailstorm-in-2017-300x225.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hailstone-sizes-of-denvers-hailstorm-in-2017.jpg\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hailstone-sizes-of-denvers-hailstorm-in-2017.jpg 420w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hailstone-sizes-of-denvers-hailstorm-in-2017-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16474 sp-no-webp\" alt=\"hailstone sizes of denver\u2019s hailstorm in 2017\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">Hailstone sizes of Denver\u2019s hailstorm in 2017 (Source \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/denver.cbslocal.com\/2017\/05\/10\/solar-panels-survive-hailstorm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CBS<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has a Research Support Facility in Denver, Colorado with up to 3,168 solar panels installed between the roofs of the facility and the ground of the property, reaching to a 2.5 MW power plant. Amazingly, when the hailstorm passed, only a single solar module was damaged! A true real-world test of the endurance of solar panels against hailstones!<\/p>\n<p>The only damaged module of the installation was believed to be hit by several hailstones in the exact same spot. This created a network of micro-cracks in the glass from above 36 hits.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/damaged-solar-panel-from-hailstones-in-the-nrel\u2019s-facility.webp 740w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/damaged-solar-panel-from-hailstones-in-the-nrel\u2019s-facility-300x142.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/damaged-solar-panel-from-hailstones-in-the-nrel\u2019s-facility.jpg\" height=\"350\" width=\"740\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/damaged-solar-panel-from-hailstones-in-the-nrel\u2019s-facility.jpg 740w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/damaged-solar-panel-from-hailstones-in-the-nrel\u2019s-facility-300x142.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-14260 sp-no-webp\" alt=\"damaged solar panel from hailstones in the nrel\u2019s facility\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">Damaged Solar Panel from Hailstones in the NREL\u2019s Facility (Source \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/eere\/articles\/hail-no-national-labs-solar-panels-survive-severe-storm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NREL<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can-My-Solar-Panel-Get-Damaged-by-Hailstones\"><\/span>Can My Solar Panel Get Damaged by Hailstones?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Yes, solar panels could get damaged by hailstones, especially if their sizes are greater than 2 inches or if they are very small PV cells just like those found in <a href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/best-solar-lamp-posts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">solar LED lamp posts<\/a>. However, solar panels are designed and tested to endure severe hailstorms and other weather conditions that will not allow solar panels to break easily. This post has more <a href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/are-solar-panels-waterproof\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">information about whether solar panels are waterproof or not<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The greatest proof of that is the NREL solar power plant, therefore, it is highly improbable that your solar panel with be damaged in a hailstorm. In any case, in the unlikely event that you wake up in the morning and one solar panel\u2019s glass is broken, don\u2019t worry, your home insurance will cover that.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-fa793e2 references-section elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"fa793e2\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7c1e330\" data-id=\"7c1e330\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e54ca0c references-heading elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e54ca0c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">References<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3957814 references elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3957814\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ol>\n\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/eere\/articles\/hail-no-national-labs-solar-panels-survive-severe-storm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Hail no! National Lab&#8217;s Solar Panels Survive Severe Storm<\/a> &#8211; ENERGY<\/li>\n\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrel.gov\/docs\/fy14osti\/60950.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Photovoltaic Module Qualification Plus Testing<\/a> &#8211; NREL<\/li>\n\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/capital-weather-gang\/wp\/2018\/08\/08\/costly-hailstorms-are-rapidly-increasing-heres-what-the-weather-community-is-doing-about-it\/?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.09171169e701\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Costly Hailstorms are Rapidly Increasing.<\/a> &#8211; Washington Post<\/li>\n\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lgenergy.com.au\/faq\/solar-panels\/how-likely-is-it-that-solar-panels-could-be-damaged-by-hail-frost-or-extreme-heat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">How Likely is it that Solar Panels Could be Damaged by Hail, Frost or Extreme Heat?<\/a> &#8211; LG Solar<\/li>\n<\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4d890dfd post-rating-section elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4d890dfd\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6777006\" data-id=\"6777006\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-16ca61d post-rating elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"16ca61d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><!-- Rate my Post Plugin --><div  class=\"rmp-widgets-container rmp-wp-plugin rmp-main-container js-rmp-widgets-container js-rmp-widgets-container--1157 \"  data-post-id=\"1157\">    <!-- Rating widget -->  <div class=\"rmp-rating-widget js-rmp-rating-widget\">          <p class=\"rmp-heading rmp-heading--title\">        We hope you liked this article. 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Manufacturers use quality tests that simulate the impact of hailstones to PV modules in order to ensure that solar panels will be able to resist hailstorms. In order to approach this topic properly, &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-damaged-by-hail\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Can Solar Panels be Damaged by Hail?<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"right-sidebar","site-content-layout":"plain-container","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","_glsr_average":0,"_glsr_ranking":0,"_glsr_reviews":0},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Can Solar Panels be Damaged by Hail? - ecotality.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/can-solar-panels-be-damaged-by-hail\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Can Solar Panels be Damaged by Hail? - ecotality.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Can Solar Panels be Damaged By Hail? Solar Panels can be damaged by a heavy hailstorm, but it is not statistically probable. Manufacturers use quality tests that simulate the impact of hailstones to PV modules in order to ensure that solar panels will be able to resist hailstorms. In order to approach this topic properly, &hellip; Can Solar Panels be Damaged by Hail? 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