Hail season, checked from the ground
Check from the ground first, then let a crew photograph every panel.
Did the hail damage my panels?
Probably not, but check. Tempered panel glass shrugs off most hail, yet big stones can still crack it. Look from the ground, compare clear days in your app, and get a photo record early.
When does it land?
May to August
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
What does hail damage look like?
Crazed glass
A web of fine cracks, often visible only at certain angles in low sun.
Dented frames
Small dimples on the aluminum frame edges and on roof vents nearby.
Damage around you
Dented gutters, a car or a neighbor’s skylight: if those took hits, so did the glass.
A panel goes quiet
One module reading low or near zero on clear days after the storm.
What does a crack do?
A cracked panel may keep producing for a while, so output alone does not prove it is fine. Over months, water and dirt can work into cracks, and a damaged cell can drag down more than its share on a string. Microinverters keep that loss to one panel. Either way, the damage is for your installer and insurer to judge, with photos.
What can I do myself?
Do
- Look at the array from the ground with binoculars once the storm passes.
- Photograph dented gutters, vents and cars, with the date.
- Check your app for any panel or string reading low on the next clear days.
- Call your insurer early, and your installer for anything electrical.
Don’t
- Don’t climb onto a wet roof after a storm.
- Don’t touch or rinse a panel that looks cracked.
- Don’t sweep hail or debris off the panels.
What does our crew do?
Visual storm check
Every panel looked at from the ground and the roof edge, with nobody on the modules.
Dated photo report
Each row photographed, with close-ups of anything cracked, chipped or dented.
Plain referrals
Electrical issues to the installer, roof damage to a roofer, claims to your insurer.
Output read
Clear days after the storm compared with the month before, from your app.
What do owners ask about hail?
Can hail break solar panels?
Yes, though most hail does not. Panel glass is tempered and handles small and medium stones well. Large hail can crack it, chip edges or dent frames, and damage at roof level is easy to miss from the ground. A visual inspection with photos is the quickest way to know what you have.
What does a storm check include?
A visual inspection of every panel from the ground and the roof edge, dated photos of each row, close-ups of anything cracked or dented, and a note of who to call. It starts from $119. We do not test wiring, walk on panels or assess a claim; that stays with your installer and insurer.
Will insurance cover hail damage to solar panels?
That is a question for your insurer, and policies differ. What we can give you is a dated photo record of every panel and the roof around it, taken soon after the storm, which you can share with your adjuster and your installer. We do not advise on claims.
My panels still produce. Are they fine?
Not necessarily. A cracked panel can keep producing for weeks or months before moisture gets in and output drops. Check your app for any panel or string reading low on clear days, and get a close look at the glass. Photos taken now are more useful than photos taken later.
Should I wash my panels after hail?
Not before someone has looked at the glass. Rinsing a cracked panel is a risk, and storm grit can hide small chips. Book the storm check first. If every panel is sound and the storm left leaves and grit behind, a pure-water wash can follow.
Seeing this on your glass?
Send a photo from the ground or a screenshot of your app, and we will say whether it needs us.