Misconceptions About Severe Weather’s Effect on Solar Panels

With hurricanes and storms ravaging cities all over the US, you may be looking at the solar panels in your neighborhood and wondering if they’re equipped to deal with severe weather conditions. You might live in a hurricane-prone area and be thinking that there’s no point in installing solar panels because they’ll just get destroyed, anyway. However, what you might not realize is that pretty much every place in the United States is prone to some kind of severe weather. In this blog post, we’ll look at several common misconceptions about how exactly severe weather affects solar panels and dispel the myths.

It’s pointless to get solar panels if you live in a colder area.

Many people are under the impression that solar panels generate their energy through heat, when in fact, the energy is generated through the sun’s light. Many people who know it’s generated through the sun’s light are also under the assumption that this means their solar panels won’t work on a cloudy day. Both of these are false. The first one is false because, as stated, solar panels get their energy from the sun’s light. They actually might perform better in extreme cases where they’re prone to overheating, as the cold will relieve that stress. As for the clouds, this is also a myth because it’s the UV rays from the sun that the panels absorb, and those will reach your panels regardless of if it’s a cloudy day or not.

It’s pointless getting solar panels if you live in an area with heavy snowfall.

Again, this is a huge misconception. The reason? If you have quality panels, they’ll be prepared and more than capable of handling the snowfall. In fact, if you have quality solar panels, they’ll be able to melt the snow faster than if it landed on a normal rooftop. Just remember that quality is the most important thing when it comes to going solar.

It’s pointless to install solar panels if you live in a windy area.

Like the snow, it’s the quality of the solar panel that matters when dealing with extreme wind conditions. If you get a quality panel and quality installer, they’ll be more than capable of giving you the best panels for the windy climate.

Hail will crack my solar panels.

There’s actually testing done on solar panels for this exact extreme weather condition, so no, hail will not crack your solar panels. They will be fortified against that. The manufacturers of your panels will even have to get an Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) certification that shows the panels have undergone the tests and passed. This is because it’d be a huge safety hazard if massive pieces of glass started flying off your roof the second it began to hail.

If my panels are UL certified, I don’t have to worry about any weather conditions.

Unfortunately, that’s not true. The UL Certification only tests for the basics, and you’ll need to ask your installer about specific issues and ensure the panels you’re getting are able to handle your specific weather conditions and climate. Be blunt with your solar installer and make sure you’re getting exactly the right panel for your specific need.

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