In recent days, a hailstorm in northern Italy has raised concerns about the potential damage sudden and intense atmospheric events may cause to photovoltaic systems. Several system owners have shared photos of damaged plants on social media, clearly showing the intensity of the hail, particularly its size, with diameters reaching up to 20 centimeters in some cases.

However, how large do these particles need to be to damage photovoltaic systems? What can be considered a critical threshold, beyond which the damage becomes severe?

According to researchers from the Netherlands, damage to solar panels mainly occurs with hailstones that have a minimum size of 3 centimeters. In their paper, "Vulnerability of Solar Panels to Hail," they explain: "Larger hailstones (exceeding 4 centimeters) on average cause more significant damage than smaller hailstones, but they also produce a wider range of damages to solar panels."

Starting from 3 centimeters, both invisible and visible damage can occur, but from 4 centimeters onwards, the percentage of visible damage significantly increases.

The smallest cracks (microcracks) do not form in the front glass layer, but in the silicon, thus not reducing the initial output. However, a few months later, the power in the damaged area may begin to decrease rapidly, and after about a year, microcracks will appear on the panel's surface. All damage shortens the lifespan of the solar panel.

The researchers explain that the orientation of the roof relative to the direction of the hail can significantly impact the damage caused by hail to solar panels, and this factor may be more decisive than the size of the hail.

On the other hand, there is evidence to suggest that even the installation angle of the solar panels can affect their damage. According to the scientists' conclusions, a greater tilt will help mitigate damage.

Research also indicates that hail frequency and damage caused by hail are increasing in Europe and the Netherlands. This suggests that exposed items such as solar panels may become more vulnerable in the future.

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