A very common question we are asked is can solar panels withstand hail? This is a very important question as solar panels mounted on your roof are right in the line of fire of hail, so here is the answer.
Quality solar panels are made from tempered glass. Tempered glass, also known as safety glass or toughened glass, is anything up to six times the strength of normal plate glass. It is created by thermal or chemical means and is tested to withstand the impact of hailstones and snow loads on the panels (not that snow is a real issue here on the Gold Coast!) When tempered glass does break, it shatters into small pieces rather than into large, razor sharp shards as standard plate glass.
Standard plate glass can still be found on some cheaper brands of monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels made by small, unknown companies and on most brands of amorphous (thin film) solar panels, they can try and make it stronger by using thicker plate glass, but it is still nowhere near as strong as tempered glass. Also with plate glass it can cloud over time, which would greatly reduce the solar panels power output.
So in conclusion you do get what you pay for. When buying solar panels it should be clearly stated on the product specifications the type of glass used, if it is not, it is highly likely to be plate glass. Quality solar panels are made from tempered glass and designed to withstand hail, don’t be deceived with unknown brand solar panels at prices to good to be true, as the saying goes if it seems too good to be true it probably is!
