Solar Panels & Severe Storms: What You Need to Know

Solar panels are mostly unaffected by everyday weather like rain and wind. But, in more severe storms, you may experience damage that requires solar panel maintenance or repair.

Solar Panels & Hail Storms

Hail and ice can cause serious property damage–remember the 2023 Texas ice storm? Hail can damage solar panels, too, by cracking and shattering their glass faces.

But in most cases, solar panels make it through mild-to-moderate hailstorms unscathed. Solar panels have undergone extensive testing to improve durability and resilience, and most solar panels are rated to withstand damage from hail stones up to about an inch in diameter. Following a severe hail storm in Denver in 2017, only one of over 3,000 panels in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s rooftop solar panel system was damaged.

If you do experience solar panel damage following a hailstorm, Texas Engineered Solar can remove and replace the damaged panels to get your system back in working order quickly.

Solar Panels & Tornadoes

Tornadoes cause high winds, which can rip your solar panels off their racking. However, in moderate wind conditions, solar panels usually remain secure. According to the Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity, moderate tornadoes have winds up to 112 mph. Most solar panels, meanwhile, are certified to withstand winds up to 140 mph, which makes them more durable than you may think in a tornado or wind storm.

When solar panels are damaged by wind or a mild-to-moderate tornado, it is usually due to poor installation, a failure within the racking system, or a failure with the roof itself. In this case, you may need solar panel removal and replacement while your roof is repaired. We offer solar panel removal and replacement services and can coordinate with your roofer to ensure a smooth removal and reinstallation.

Solar Panels & Lightning

A direct lightning strike can cause serious damage to your solar panels and inverter. Thankfully, however, direct strikes are rare. Indirect strikes are more common and can result in high-voltage surges that damage components of your solar PV system.

Solar installers follow strict guidelines to protect your home and family against fire risks, and most inverters come with surge suppression circuits to prevent surge damage. It’s worth scheduling solar panel maintenance every few years to ensure your system’s surge protection components are working properly.

If you have solar panel storm damage, call Texas Engineered Solar for solar panel repair in San Antonio. We provide solar panel maintenance and repair services for all types of storm damage. If you have roof damage and solar panels, we can remove and safely store your solar panels while your roof is repaired and reinstall them afterward.

Texas Engineered Solar is a local solar company in San Antonio and we know how frustrating it’s been to deal with so much intense weather lately. Our team is here to help you in the wake of any storm. Whether you have questions or know you need solar panel repair and want to schedule it ASAP, just give us a call. We will do everything we can to get your system back up and running fast.