Hail, Hurricanes, Snow and Heat: How Durable Are Solar Panels?

Solar panels are built for outdoor abuse. Certified panels are tested against standard hail impacts, heavy snow and wind loads, and temperature swings, and most systems ride out normal weather for decades. They aren’t indestructible: very large hail, hurricane-force wind and debris can break them, and a poor installation is often the weak point. Owned rooftop panels are usually covered by homeowners insurance as part of the house. And most homeowners can skip routine cleaning entirely.

How panels are tested

Panels sold in the U.S. are generally certified to safety and performance standards such as UL 61730 and IEC 61215. Among other things, these tests include:

• Hail impact: ice balls of 25 mm (about 1 inch) fired at about 23 meters per second (roughly 51 mph) at multiple points on the panel.
• Mechanical load: pressure applied to the front and back of the panel to simulate snow and wind. Many datasheets list a front (snow) load rating and a rear (wind uplift) load rating in pascals; higher numbers mean stronger.
• Thermal cycling and damp heat: repeated temperature swings and long exposure to heat and humidity to test materials and seals.
• Humidity-freeze cycles for cold, wet climates.

Certification is a minimum. Independent reliability programs, such as the Kiwa PVEL Scorecard and RETC’s PV Module Index, push panels harder. PVEL’s 2026 Scorecard found that 26% of the bills of materials tested broke under its mechanical load testing, and 45% of manufacturers had a major delamination failure. Thinner glass and larger panel formats were blamed. The takeaway: not every certified panel is equally tough, and the version you get may be built from different materials than the one that was tested. See best solar panels and our solar panel equipment guide.

Hail

Hail is the weather risk most owners worry about, and with reason in places like the Great Plains, Texas and Colorado.

• Standard panels must survive 1-inch hail in testing. Many survive larger, and some manufacturers test well beyond the standard. REC, for example, publicized tests of one model against 45 mm (about 1.75 inch) hailstones in late 2025.
• What breaks panels: hail larger than the panel’s tested size, high wind driving hail at an angle, or repeated strikes. Cracked glass lets moisture in and can make a panel unsafe and unproductive.
• Hidden damage: hail can cause tiny cell cracks that aren’t visible but reduce output over time. A drop in production after a storm is a sign. Compare your output to expectations with our production checker.

If you live in a hail-prone area, ask installers for panels with a higher hail rating or independent hail test results, and check that your insurance covers hail without an unusually high deductible.

Hurricanes and high wind

In high winds, the panel is rarely the first thing to fail. More often it’s the attachment: racking, roof mounts, or the roof itself.

• Racking and attachments should be designed for your local wind speed and exposure under your building code. Your permit plans should show this.
• Attaching into rafters, not just roof decking, and using the right number of attachment points matters.
• Edges and corners of a roof see the highest wind pressure, so good designs keep panels back from the edges.
• Flying debris is the other big risk.

In hurricane regions, ask your installer what wind speed the system is designed for and whether the racking is certified for it. Keep a copy of your permit plans. After a storm, inspect from the ground and have a professional check any loose panels or exposed wiring before turning the system back on.

For backup during outages, remember that a standard grid-tied system shuts off when the grid goes down. Only systems with a battery or a special inverter can keep power flowing. See generator vs battery backup and off-grid vs grid-tied.

Snow

• Loads: heavy snow adds weight. Panels are rated for front loads, and the roof structure must handle snow plus the system. Your installer’s structural review should account for local snow loads.
• Production: panels covered in snow produce little. Tilted, dark panels usually shed snow within a day or two of sun. Snow losses are a normal part of winter production in snowy regions.
• Sliding snow: panels make snow slide off faster and in bigger sheets. Consider snow guards if the array sits above a walkway, door or driveway.
• Clearing: generally don’t. Climbing on a snowy roof is dangerous, and metal tools can scratch the glass. A soft roof rake made for solar panels, used from the ground, is the safest option if you must clear them.

Heat

Panels work in hot climates, and Arizona and other desert states are among the best solar regions. Heat does have two effects:

• Lower output on hot days. Panels lose a fraction of a percent of power per degree Celsius above standard test conditions. Modern panels typically lose about 0.25% to 0.37% per degree depending on cell type, with heterojunction (HJT) panels at the low end. On a very hot roof, output can be noticeably lower than on a cool, sunny day.
• Faster aging. NREL’s fleet data found median degradation of about 0.88% a year in hot climates versus 0.48% in cool climates.

In hot regions, a panel with a lower temperature coefficient and a good degradation warranty is worth considering. Inverters also prefer shade, so ask about mounting them out of direct afternoon sun.

Wildfire and smoke

Smoke and ash reduce output temporarily and may leave a film worth rinsing off. Some insurers in wildfire areas ask about rooftop equipment. Building codes require rapid-shutdown equipment on rooftop systems so firefighters can de-energize them. Clear dry leaves and debris that collect under panels, ideally with a professional, since they can be a fire concern.

Insurance: what to check

Owned systems (cash or loan):

• Rooftop panels are usually treated as part of the dwelling under a standard homeowners policy and are covered for the same perils as your roof, such as hail, wind and fire, subject to your deductible.
• Check your dwelling coverage limit. Adding a solar system increases the cost to rebuild your home. If your limit doesn’t account for it, you could be underinsured.
• Ground-mounted systems may fall under “other structures” coverage, which usually has a lower limit.
• Wind and hail deductibles in some states are a percentage of your dwelling coverage rather than a flat dollar amount, which can be large.
• Wear and tear, gradual degradation and manufacturing defects generally aren’t insurance claims; those fall under warranties.
• Tell your insurer about the system. Ask whether your premium changes and whether there are any exclusions.

Leased or PPA systems:

• The company that owns the system usually insures and repairs it. Read your contract to confirm who covers what, including roof damage caused by the system and your obligations after a storm.
• Your homeowners policy still covers your roof and home.

See solar property taxes and insurance for more on premiums and property taxes.

Making a claim after a storm

1. Take photos from the ground right away, and note the date and time.
2. Turn the system off using the manufacturer’s shutdown procedure if you see damage.
3. Compare production before and after the storm in your monitoring app.
4. Call your insurer (owned system) or the system owner (lease/PPA).
5. Get a licensed solar company to inspect and document the damage. Roofers often aren’t qualified to assess panels.
6. Ask whether replacement panels will match your system electrically. Discontinued models can complicate repairs, especially on string inverter systems.

Watch out: Storm-chasing contractors sometimes knock on doors after hail or hurricanes offering free inspections and insurance claims help. Check licenses, never sign over insurance benefits on the spot, and get your own inspection. The same rules from our door-to-door solar sales guide apply.

Maintenance and cleaning: when to bother

Solar systems need very little maintenance. A sensible routine:

• Monthly: glance at your monitoring app and compare to the same month last year. See is my solar system working?.
• Twice a year: look at the array from the ground for cracked glass, loose wires, debris, animal nests or new shade.
• After major storms: check production and look for damage.
• Every few years: consider a professional inspection of wiring, connectors and roof attachments, especially if your installer offered one or your warranty requires it.

Cleaning is usually not worth it. PVWatts, the standard production model, assumes about 2% average loss from soiling. On a system producing 10,000 kWh a year, a 2% gain is about 200 kWh, roughly $36 at the U.S. average residential rate of about 18 cents per kWh as of mid-2026. A professional cleaning often costs more than that, and climbing on the roof yourself is risky.

Cleaning can make sense when:

• You live in a dry, dusty area with little rain for long stretches
• You’re near farms, unpaved roads, construction or industrial dust
• Birds leave heavy droppings, or pollen or ash builds up
• Your panels are nearly flat, so rain doesn’t rinse them well
• Monitoring shows a clear drop that recovers after rain

If you do clean, use plain water and a soft brush from the ground, avoid high-pressure washers and harsh chemicals, and clean in the early morning or evening when the glass is cool. Check your panel warranty for cleaning instructions, since some methods can void coverage.

Durability and long-term value

Weather is one reason panels degrade over time, typically around 0.5% a year for quality panels. Most systems should still produce the large majority of their original output after 25 years. See solar panel lifespan and warranties. If your roof will need replacing during the system’s life, plan for that up front with should I replace my roof before solar? and the roof replacement timing tool.