Solar panels can be very great for you and your household or business but they can be very expensive. Solar panels are okay in rain and snow, and of course sun. None of these weather types will damage the panels so there isn’t much to worry about.
However, when the weather starts to get a little more severe there may be some things to worry about. Hail can damage cars, homes, and severely hurt people. Therefore, it can hurt your solar panels as well. But there are great ways to protect them from hail.
Life Span of Solar Panels in Climates with Hail
Solar panels last a long time but there is wear and tear with any type of weather. Those who deal with selling solar panels in areas where hale is frequent have started trying to adapt their solar panels to hold up to the weather better.
According to a few company’s solar panels have a life span of 25 to 27 years in climates with a lot of hale. This is less than many solar panels in climates where there is not much hail. This has nothing to do with the quality of the solar panels, just the weathers effects on it.
Solar Panels and Bad Weather
Since solar panels are always outside and very difficult to move it is essential that they can withstand quite a lot of weather. Most companies that make solar panels have had to go through trial and error for many years before creating the ideal and strong solar panel.
Generally, hail that is falling at 50 miles an hour or less will not damage the solar panels beyond repair. They are made to withstand hits like that as long as hail is not over one inch in diameter.
Solar panels are also made to hold up and stay attached even in very strong winds.
This is great news for anyone worried about having solar panels. Especially those who were holding off on getting them due to their worries about the climate they live in.
Why Protect Your Solar Panels?
Solar panels are expensive and protecting them is a must. If solar panels are your main way of electricity then it is even more important to protect them greatly.
Imagine the next weeks forecast calls for a lot of severe storms. Since you have solar power you figure it is easy enough to keep your electricity going, even if traditional power goes out. However, once the storm starts there is large hail and it cracks your solar panels. This would make your stream of electricity go out and it would be much more expensive to get it fixed.
Although traditional electricity may go out sometimes the city works to get it back on. This happens at no cost to you which makes things even better. If your solar panels get damaged it will cost you a lot of money and you will be without solar power for the period of time it takes to fix things.
Lastly, the investment only makes sense if you don’t have to invest in it multiple times. If you spend that much money and end up having to spend it time after time after time then you will be out more money than you are saving. This only works against you.
How to Protect Your Solar Panels
When we talk about protecting solar panels you may be thinking there is some type of shield you can buy. Or maybe you believe that there are certain types that will work better or last longer. While these might be things that could help protect in hurricane like situations they are not needed for everyday weather.
To protect your solar panels against normal weather and even hail up to one inch in diameter make sure to uphold maintenance on them. Start off by keeping them clean. If there are leaves, snow, or branches that are on your solar panels then this could be hurting you in more ways than one.
These debris could be blocking the sun from some or all of the solar panels. This means you may not be getting as much sun and in turn not as much energy. On the other hand, these debris, in the right conditions, could be damaging to your solar panels.
There are also companies that you can hire to professionally clean your solar panels. Although not needed all of the time it is good to do this at least once a year. This will prevent build up and keep your solar panels working at full efficiency.
Another thing that can be helpful simply for keeping your solar panels as long as possible is installing, or getting a solar panel cover installed. There are some protective solar panel covers that are thin enough to not mess up the power harnessing at all.
If you are doing these also make sure to have good insurance on your solar panels. Investing that much money in solar panels can be fruitless if they are no longer good and there is no insurance on them. Just as you would insure your car or your home you should insure your solar panels.
The other thing that can keep your solar panels in good shape and protected from weather is simply staying informed on the weather. If you check the weather daily or get text alerts set up for severe weather alerts then you will be one step ahead.
Knowing when this bad weather is going to hit is half the problem, that way you are able to get anything in place if needed. This way you can also check the solar panels before and after the storm to see if anything was damaged before the storms or during the storms.
Getting solar panels is a great idea but some people become scared that their investment is going to be destroyed far too early. By figuring out how to best protect your solar panels you will be able to confidently make this wonderful investment.