Solar Energy, SOLAR PANELS ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS

People are concerned while installing Solar Panels. It’s not only the technicalities
that bother them, but the thought of survival of those Solar Panels amidst extreme
weather conditions is what really matters to them! The Solar Panels are installed
on the roofs which undergo “routine damages” per year from snowfall and ice storms
and from the hurricanes, hail and tornadoes. These natural calamities and conditions
expose the Solar Panels to a risk of damages. Thus, people need to give a thought
as to whether they should install Solar Panels on roofs which are susceptible to damages.

Consumers need to worry about the glass casings that surround the solar cells.
These casings enable the solar cells to get exposed to sunlight. The glass casings
might get damaged by hail or wind. The solution lies in the very composition of
the Solar Panels. A high impact, tempered glass, has the capability to survive these
damaging impacts by wind and hail. One should make sure that the glass casing is
able to endure storms with winds blowing at a velocity of sixty miles per hour.
These should also be able to withstand up to three-fourth inch hail drop.
One should note that the Solar Panels should have the strength to bear all the
weather conditions normally faced by the roofing materials. Again, the roof should
be able to carry the weight of the solar panel arrays. This is up to the contractor
to ensure that the roof is strong enough to support the weight before the installation.
The next concern would be to know if the panels can stay in place. At this point,
the Solar Panels would be able to stand amidst hurricanes and tornados and in the
worst cases; the roof itself has to come out!

Now, let’s come to those areas which experience heavy snowfall. When snow falls,
it forms a coating on the Solar Panels and thus it cuts off contact with the sunlight.
Under such circumstances, a manual labor is required to brush the snow off the panels.
When Solar Panels get coated with snow, no electricity can be generated. But the snow
cannot cause damages to the Solar Panels. Instead, people should be concerned about the
strength of the roof to find out if it can survive a wet heavy snowfall.

Thus, while removing the snow from the panels one should bother to shovel the roof also.
The Solar Panels store some warmth and thus when a light snowfall occurs and the snow
deposits on the panels, then the snow gets melted by the heat, thereby resulting in
“auto-cleaning” of the panels. But one should always think about the worst to get the
valuables insured. There are many insurance policies for the homeowners which include
the Solar Panels also without involving an extra charge. One can minimize the risk of
damage to the Solar Panels if he learns about all the requirements of maintenance. A
little bit of extra care and caution would enable him to enjoy free energy forever!