27-05-2025
How to Protect Your Rooftop Solar Panels From Hail Damage
As the US heads into peak hailstorm season, homeowners that have installed solar power face the prospect of chunks of ice damaging their panels.
'Those instances of damage are rare, but the more extreme weather gets with climate change, it's hard to know what the future brings,' says Lauren Martin, head of marketing at Freedom Solar Power, a Texas-based solar installer. Last year, the company was called in to repair about a dozen solar systems in Austin pummeled by baseball-sized hail.
Hail caused more economic losses for solar-panel owners than any other hazard, according to the latest data available from GCube Insurance, an underwriter that insures more than 100 gigawatts of renewable energy assets worldwide. While less than 2% of the total claims the company recorded from 2018 to 2023 had to do with hail, they accounted for more than half of insured damage associated with solar projects.
Hailstorms can happen in any part of the US, but they most commonly occur in the central and southern plains states, stretching from Texas to the Dakotas, a region known as 'Hail Alley.' Part of that overlaps with areas that have seen substantial growth in solar installation. Take Texas. Its residential solar adoption increased nearly 650% from 2017 to 2022, according to a report published last year by Frontier Group and Environment Texas Research and Policy Center.
Here's what you need to know about protecting your rooftop solar systems from hail damage.
Today, solar panels are able to withstand the impact of hailstones roughly the size of a quarter coin (1 inch in diameter) at the speed of 50 miles per hour — as long as you purchase the right products.
Consider shopping for solar panels with a UL 61730 rating, says Evelyn Butler, vice president of technical services at Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade group. The rating, provided by Illinois-based safety-standard company UL Solutions, signals the panels passed hail testing, she says. Other organizations such as the International Electrotechnical Commission also issue their version of safety standards for solar panels that can operate in rough weather.
As soon as you decide to install solar panels, inform your insurance company, says Jason Kaminsky, chief executive officer of kWh Analytics, a firm that specializes in risk analytics for renewable-energy projects. Many carriers will extend homeowners insurance to include the solar equipment, he says. If your panels are mounted on the ground rather than attached to the house structure, confirm with your carrier if the system is eligible for homeowners' insurance or if you need to purchase an add-on.
Homeowners who get their solar panels through a lease or a Power Purchase Agreement should check with their equipment provider to clarify who will insure the solar system, Kaminsky says. Typically, the equipment provider is responsible for that.
