What the hail is going on!

Re: What the hail is going on!

sorry for losses, but it's to bad everything else wasn't built as well as your pvs were.

Re: What the hail is going on!

Was there any warning from the weather service prior to the storm?

Re: What the hail is going on!

Glad the PV glass held up. Nasty looking hail.

Re: What the hail is going on!

Checked your link looks like PV is working Great 9 KWH to the grid and almost 20KWH so far delivered for the day:D

Re: What the hail is going on!

that's really bad news.:grr ouch! i was going to say when it rains it pours, but that's a bit inaccurate in your case for when it hails it hurts, many times over.

Re: What the hail is going on!

solar_dave wrote: »

Now I pout! looks like all the Canadian Solar panels are busted... They are still outputting but they won't last for sure.

Are they generating same output power as before? Solar cells should be encapsulated in clear EVA film behind glass. This film should keep cells sealed even if glass has cracks. Call the manufacturer and ask how they seal their panels. They may work just fine for their designed life even with cracks.

How did your other panels do? How different are they from cracked panels? Can you measure glass thickness? Can you describe how cracks look like? Are they long or short and jagged? I want to see if manufacturer used non-tempered glass.

Re: What the hail is going on!

Sorry to hear of your "hailacious" experience. I too remember a fierce fall hailstorm in Denver many years back.

I see you also have Ningbo panels in your signature. Did they survive?

Ironically, I ordered 6 Ningbo 230's, which arrived today. (:D) I had my heart set on Canadian Solar modules of the same wattage because they are supposedly beefier, but they were out of stock, so I had to settle for the Ningbo's instead. Maybe not such a bad thing after all.

Re: What the hail is going on!

You know, i'm beginning to think this is just the life of people named Dave. You just get a little ahead and think you're going to make a little something for all the extra effort you put into it, and somebody or something takes that away.

Just like my work. We finally had a good month which put us just a bit ahead, and my power cutter goes down. can't buy parts for it because of its age, just a new cutter, a 12,000 setback.

Hope things work out for you solar_dave

-Dave

Re: What the hail is going on!

solar_dave wrote: »

Just had the worse hail storm I have seen in 20 years come through here. All 3 cars damaged, about half the screens on the house damaged, new building stucco has holes blown in it, some roof tiles pieces on the ground, BUT looks like the solar panels survived!!!!

Man, I understand what you're going through!! About two years ago, we got hit with 30 straight minutes of golf ball size hail. I didn't have any PV panels then, but it really beat up everything...from the riding lawn mower to a 30 yr. Owens-Corning asphalt shingles that were only 90 days old.

While you are recovering from that kind of damage, let me help you with some ideas to go over with your insurance adjuster.... Anything thing that is on your property that is beat up is subject to repair or replacement. Fascia damage on the house, dents or broken vinyl trim holding in the glass in the aluminum windows, Bar-B-Q Grill itself or damage to the vinyl cover, TV antenna, pot plants, sides of the fences and even the chipped or split tops of wooden fence pickets. If your panels' aluminum frames are dented, you should get some money for that.

I took a standard size yellow tablet and then divided the lot into four sections. Each grid had its own listing of damage, so when the adjuster comes you can remember to cover all the damage in each sector. Crazy it may sound, but by the time I covered everything, I had enough to offset not only my deductible, but also the 1% non-recoverable damage. Plus, the 2,000 sq.ft. house and three out buildings cost just over $42,000 in damages.

I replaced the both the old and new 30yr asphalt shingle roofs with a "Hail Resistant" asphalt shingle. The brand and name is GAF/Elk Armor-Shield II. It is a lifetime shingle, but it has just three bundles per square instead of four bundles. It cost about $30 a square more... But...your insurance company will offer you a nice discount to your homeowners policy just because you use those type of shingles. In my case, it cut my homeowners yearly policy cost by $503!!! It took me less than 3 years to recover the extra cost, but the discount continues as long as the shingle is on the house...

Plus, if this is going to be your home for then next few years, no telling what oil is going to sell for or what asphalt shingles will cost in the future. If another hailstorm hits, you'll get the same quality roof replaced, but you'll only be out your deductible. If, by chance, you are thinking about a metal roof as a replacement, ask your insurance company. Metal costs a lot more, but most insurance companies will not replace metal roofs if they are just dented-up... It's got to be leaking or holes knocked through the metal... AND... they don't have to replace the roof just because the new section of metal's paint doesn't match the rest of your dented up roof... If you have R-panel metal roofing on any outside buildings, be sure that they pay you for the grade you have. If you go back with new R-panel, check out panels painted with "KYNAR" paint. It last much longer, and if you haven't spent the $1,500 tax credit on extra insulation or a new EPA wood stove, you can get the tax credit because of that paint...

If you are interested in more of what to know and say to your adjuster, PM me and I'll send you the list of things I used.....