Solar panels and hail?
Hi all,
We are looking into getting a solar array installed on our roof and a question came up for me regarding environmental damage, specifically from hail. We are working with a reputable local installer that provide a 20-year warranty on their workmanship and 25-year guarantees regarding the functioning of the panels and microinverters. However none of their guarantees cover things like accidental damage to the panels caused by weather like hail or high winds.
Should we be looking into coverage for that through our homeowners insurance policy? Have folks here had experience with how resilient recently-manufactured panels are to things like hail? The representative told us the panels were looking at meet test standards for 1-inch hail coming in at 51 mph. We live in western MA, and aren’t particularly susceptible to major storms or frequent hail but it does happen on occasion. Just curious about folks’ thoughts/experiences with this and how best to account for it in our planning.
Thanks!