As with any component the quality of tempered glass used in various brands of solar panels can vary.
Solar panels hail damage sydney.
One minute the sun is shining bright across the lone star state then suddenly debris the size of golfballs rattles down and wreaks havoc that s often.
In australia solar power system installation is big business.
How do hailstorms affect solar panels.
With hail season in full swing protect your solar panels from hail damage to keep their energy supply in working condition.
More than 20 of australian households are now fitted with a solar power system that costs an average of aud 5 000 for a 5kw capacity set up.
Glass panels are your cheapest option with 2 main types being mono crystalline and polycrystalline.
Many homes in berowra heights sustained damage when a.
Damaged solar panels are seen after.
The thunderstorms brought hail to parts of sydney with the bureau of meteorology recording hailstones up to eight centimetres in diameter.
Even if damage occurs the glass doesn t shatter into sharp shards but breaks into smaller pieces that retain form.
Although made from laminated glass hail falling between 30 100km is hard to withstand.
Hail storms in sydney often come out of nowhere with common casualties around the home being damage to rooftop solar hot water tubes solar panels and water heater storage tanks.
The resilience of solar panels to hail is largely due to high quality tempered glass usually around 3 4mm thick.
The january hailstorm in canberra damaged houses cars and solar panels across the city.
Folding panels are becoming more popular as they are portable and easy to use.
Mobile panels are slightly flexible and weigh far less than glass but can be 4 x the price.
This included our black mountain science and innovation park.
These are the most efficient but are also susceptible to damage.
The substrate is a flexible plastic material and highly resistant to damage from rocks or hail.
For solar electricity consider using thin film or amorphous photovoltaic panels.
Solar panels can get damaged in a number of ways one of the most obvious is hail falling trees and flying debris in a storm.
The cleanup after the storm can be traumatic enough for homeowners tenants and property managers let alone dealing with tradespeople and insurance companies.
This can result in shattering of the panels or even micro cracks.
But can something as ordinary as hail damage your solar panels and what can you do to protect your important investment.
Solar panels and hail damage can happen in the blink of an eye.