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Homeowner fears hail damage could spoil rooftop solar savings plans

Digilifetrends Published 2 min read

"We also wonder whether some panels are like Legos and easier to replace than others."

Solar panels covered in small hailstones, with grass visible in the background.
Photo Credit: iStock

Severe weather is making it harder for one U.S. homeowner to decide whether rooftop solar can help cut summer electricity costs.

Before moving forward, the resident turned to Reddit’s r/Solar forum to ask which panels are best able to handle heavy hail and how simple it is to replace damaged units.

What to know

Before requesting installation quotes, the homeowner asked the Reddit community which panels have the strongest reputation for reliability.

The original poster said, "The summers down here really drive up energy costs. We sometimes get crazy hail, so [being] robust is a must. Also we wonder, are some panels like Legos and can be swapped out easier than others?"

The OP added that annual electricity use is roughly 18,000 to 20,000 kilowatt-hours.

Commenters said complete panel failures are uncommon. One top response said, "Solar panels of any brand rarely fail."

Another user said that, to reduce hail risk, "You could look for monofacial panels with 3mm front glass and bet on that over bifacial panels which come as thin as 1.6mm front /1.6mm back glass."

A third commenter added, "I'm pretty sure they all have to pass a 1-inch hail impact test as part of the UL listing. Not a real-world test, but they all are resistant to moderate hail."

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Homeowner fears hail damage could spoil rooftop solar savings plans

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Where can I learn more?

Panel durability is only one part of the decision when considering rooftop solar.

• With $350 bills and outages, one Texas homeowner turned to DIY whole-home solar.

• A Louisiana homeowner weighed a $28,000 solar investment against potential returns from other investments.

• A California homeowner facing a $1,200 electricity bill chose a $65,938 solar setup.

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