Introduction
Hail is a type of precipitation that consists of balls or lumps of ice that fall from the sky during a thunderstorm. Hailstones can range in size from pea-sized to as large as a grapefruit, and they can fall at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.
As a solar panel owner, you know that your investment is subject to the elements.
One of the biggest dangers to your panels is hail damage.
While hail is not an everyday occurrence, when it does happen, the damage can be significant.
That’s why it’s important to be proactive in protecting your panels with hail netting.
what is hail netting?
Hail netting is a form of hail protection that can be used to cover your solar panels. hail netting is made of a strong, durable material that can withstand hail stones.
When hail hits the netting, it will disperse the impact over a larger area, protecting your panels from damage.
Hail netting is easy to install and can be used on both new and existing solar panels.
It’s a relatively inexpensive way to protect your investment, and it could save you thousands of dollars in repairs if hail damage does occur.
If you live in an area where hail is a possibility, hail netting is a worthwhile investment in protecting your solar panels from hail.
Hail storms pose a serious risk to solar panels.
What damage can hail do to solar panels？
The damage caused by hail can be enormous, both to buildings and to plants.
Hail storms can also cause a lot of damage to high-quality solar panels. It has been reported from all over the world.
The hailstones can crack or break the panel, and if the hail is big enough, it can even shatter the glass. This type of damage can be expensive to repair, and it can also reduce the efficiency of your panels.
What to do with a damaged solar panel？
Solar panels are often installed in open fields, which are extremely vulnerable to hailstorms.
Once hit by hail, these solar panels are severely damaged and largely unusable, causing irreparable damage to investors.
If hail damage is severe, you may need to replace your solar panels, which can be expensive.
If the damage is not serious, you will also need to repair partially broken panels.
All of these can cause significant losses to your solar panel business.
How to protect solar panels from hail?
Hail can cause physical damage to your solar panels, which will result in reduced performance or even complete failure.
If you want your solar panels to last as long as possible, you need to take steps to protect them from hail damage—and that means installing protective shields over them!
There are a few different types of hail protection available on the market, but hail netting is one of the most effective.
What are the benefits of hail netting?
Hail netting for solar panel is made long from some strong material help， which can prevent hail damage by providing a barrier between the hailstone and the solar panel.
With the hail netting in place, almost all hail is effectively blocked. Solar panels are prevented from being pelted and smashed.
Bungee cord and hail netting
Hail netting is a cost-effective way to protect your investment in solar panels, and can help to ensure that they continue to operate at peak efficiency. The material of hail netting is very thin and the color is transparent, these minimize the effect of hail netting on light penetration.
4 tips for protecting solar panels with hail netting
Here are some tips on using hail netting on solar panels that may give you some advice.
Hail netting can be customized for your solar array at any location.
This netting can be customized. It can be made to fit the shape or length of your solar panels. Whatever size requirements you have can be adjusted to suit your needs.
You should use a UV-resistant material for your hail netting.
This will protect your hail netting from the sun’s harmful rays and ensure that it lasts for a long time. The hail netting should be installed by a professional. You want to make sure that the hail netting is installed correctly so that it can provide the best protection possible.
Hail netting is transparent, but it will reduce light transmission.
Although hail nets are transparent in color,
they also block a little light and may reduce the amount of light to approximately 7%.
But these losses are also minimal compared to the damage done to the solar panels.
Protecting solar panels from hail with hail netting is very cost-effective.
Because solar panels are very expensive, building solar farm costs around $800,000 to $1.36 million for one megawatt of power.
By acreage, building a solar farm typically costs between $400,000 and $500,000 per acre. And once damaged the whole panel needs to be replaced.
In contrast, the cost of using leno hail netting is $400 to $800 per acre per year on an area basis， which is cheap but can provide sufficient protection for most solar panels.
How is hail netting manufactured and installed?
Installing hail netting over your solar array will take some time and effort, but it can be done.
How is hail netting made?
Hail netting is made from HDPE through a special weaving method. This material is strong and durable, and it can effectively protect your solar panels from hail damage.
How to install hail nets?
When you install the hail nets, you should first measure the area to be covered and then cut the hail netting to size. After that, they will secure the hail protective cover to the frame using special hardware.
Hail netting is a great way to protect your solar panels from hail damage. It is strong and durable, and it can effectively block hailstones from hitting your solar panels.
Pay attention to any potential wind load issues when you install hail netting. You should also make sure that the hail netting is installed correctly so that it can provide the best protection possible.
When installed correctly, hail netting will minimize hail damage and help keep your solar panels working properly for a long time.
Case Study
If you live in an area where hail is common, hail netting is an essential part of protecting solar panels and ensuring that they continue to provide maximum power output.
A hailstorm struck the east coast of Australia in October 2021.
One photovoltaic farmer told us that he was very fortunate that his farm had been fitted with a hail screen so early on that it was not knocked down by the hail.
But this PV farm from West Texas was not so lucky.
His farm was almost completely destroyed by the hailstorm and his solar panels were all destroyed by the hail.
He regretted not following his wife’s advice to install hail nets as soon as possible.
All this disaster could have been avoided by installing these nets, but it was too late. The farmer told us sadly.
Conclusion
After you have invested a large sum of money in your PV farm, avoiding possible risks and protecting solar panels on the farm is a very important task. And nowadays, extreme weather conditions like hail storm is very common, so it is important to protect your photovoltaic farms as early as possible. Otherwise, it will be too late to wait until the day of disaster. Hail nets provide adequate protection and are heavy-duty that they can last for more than five years and are very low price relative to such damage that could be caused.
About EyouAgro
EyouAgro is a professional manufacturer of hail netting. We can provide you with the best quality hail netting at the most competitive prices. Contact us today to learn more about our hail netting products and how we can help you protect your solar panels from hail damage.
