Like rain or snow, hail is made up of solid ice and falls from the sky. When moisture in the clouds is swiftly forced upwards during an updraft, hailstones are produced. These circumstances combine hot and chilly temperatures. The tiny water droplets freeze, as a result, forming spherical, solid hailstones. Due to the extreme conditions brought on by the bad weather, strong thunderstorms produce large hailstones. 

It would help if you were not concerned about the size and weight of hailstones, though. The real cause for alarm is the pace at which hailstones are moving. 

Hail moves at a pace of 10 to 75 miles per hour (mph). Large hailstones can harm solar panels more because they move more quickly. 

Why does hail affect solar panels? 

Hail can harm solar-related equipment. 

Well-constructed solar panels are shielded by a thick layer of impact-resistant tempered glass (we’ll discuss how solar panels are tested for impacts later). Tempered glass has a high safety rating, is known to endure soft hail, and may be used outdoors for a long time. 

After a severe storm, reports of hail damaging solar panels are conflicting. Some homes claim no damage, while others draw attention to minute surface blemishes. The impact of hailstones striking the surface might harm the module’s interior solar cells and components even if there are few to no outward breaks following a hailstorm. 

Solar panel performance may suffer from hail. 

What transpires if fractures develop on the solar modules’ surface after a hailstorm? Solar panels that have surface cracks or damage will still function. However, these anomalies may result in a decline in solar output. It’s possible that the panel won’t run at its best voltage, output, or efficiency. The device would produce 15% less peak voltage if hail damaged 15% of the cells inside the panels. You may quickly verify this by measuring the voltage of the damaged panel. 

It is less probable that cracks may harm internal components or impact performance if the problem is caught early. This is so that the panels won’t malfunction or break too soon. Cracks can lead to water, moisture, or debris becoming trapped inside the panels over time. A fractured surface may also produce hot spots that cause fires or irreparable harm to interior parts. 

However, not all exterior fractures will lead to a decline in performance. Sometimes the harm is just superficial or entirely aesthetic.

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