Going solar is a great investment, one that you want to protect from the elements. Whether you’re considering installing a solar array for your home or business or if you’re already reaping the benefits of solar energy, you may have asked these questions: Do solar panels attract heat and lightning strikes? Do they reflect light? Do I need to worry about hail?
These are common questions that we would like to address.
Do solar panels attract heat?
This is a hot topic question, pun intended, that we get a lot. It’s easy to think this due to the fact that solar panels convert sunlight into energy, however, it’s not true.
Solar panels don’t generate heat, instead, they absorb heat from the sun that would otherwise hit your roof. That means your house will stay cooler, leading to less air conditioning costs in warmer months.
Additionally, the panels keep the heat from escaping, making you pay less to keep your home warm during the winter. This is just another way that solar energy helps reduce your electricity costs!
Do solar panels attract lightning strikes?
While many solar arrays are located on a roof at the “highest point”, you don’t need to worry about the panels being struck by lightning. A lightning rod or lightning arrestor system will mitigate this by placing a grounding rod above the roof surface.
Do they reflect light?
This is often a concern among homeowners who don’t want to annoy neighbors by reflecting light. Solar panels are designed with anti-reflective glass and laminates that reflect as little as 2% of incoming light. This is less than a standard window. Every day new technology is emerging to reduce reflection since any loss of light means lowered productivity
Should I worry about hail hitting my array?
It’s impossible to stop hail from hitting your array, but you don’t need to worry. Panels can withstand a 50 mile an hour hail strike from a 1” hail ball. In fact, in 2017, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado faced a terrible hail storm that left car windows broken and wrecked the roofs of homes in the area. However, out of the massive 3,000+ panel solar array at NREL, only one panel was broken. So fear not, your array will hold up in a hail storm.
Solar panels are also protected against high winds, snow loads, and heavy rainfall.
If you live in Michigan, you understand that we can experience crazy whether – hot summers, storms in the fall, snow blizzards and everything in between. However, the elements are almost never going to cause issues or damage your solar array. Rest assured that you have the best-of-the-best when it comes to the quality of our solar panels.
Do you have more questions? Read our Frequently Asked Questions page or leave us a comment!
Michigan Solar Solutions is a commercial and residential solar installer and electrical contractor that has served the lower peninsula of Michigan since 2007. We have installed thousands of panels and have a happy customer near you, check out what our customers think of us on GuildQuality.