Solar panel damage from hail storm

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  • BilljustBill
    BilljustBill Solar Expert Posts: 219 ✭✭✭
    #32
    Re: Solar panel damage from hail storm
    solar_dave wrote: »
    I had some hail damage a while back. Did they nick you for the deductible? My insurance company called it an act of God and waived the deductible.

    Hello Solar-dave,

    In my way of reading my Homeowner's policy, I've always thought that damage caused by War, or an Act of God, was a way for the Insurance Company to get out of paying a claim...:-)

    Not that I want to find out, but I wonder what way the Insurance Company knows whether it is, or is isn't, an Act of God?:confused:

    Bill
    Bill
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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #33
    Re: Solar panel damage from hail storm
    BilljustBill wrote: »
    Hello Solar-dave,

    In my way of reading my Homeowner's policy, I've always thought that damage caused by War, or an Act of God, was a way for the Insurance Company to get out of paying a claim...:-)

    Not that I want to find out, but I wonder what way the Insurance Company knows whether it is, or is isn't, an Act of God?:confused:

    Bill

    Beats me, I guess cause it was wide spread. Really all weather relate claim could be an act of God, except a flood which is specifically excluded.
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  • jcgee88
    jcgee88 Solar Expert Posts: 154 ✭✭
    #34
    Re: Solar panel damage from hail storm
    solar_dave wrote: »
    I had some hail damage a while back. Did they nick you for the deductible? My
    insurance company called it an act of God and waived the deductible.

    I will have to pay the deductible, but that deductible is for the entire insurance
    claim. My claim covers not only the solar panels, but also the roof and other
    items that were damaged during the storm. Damage to the solar represents
    about 30% of the total.

    John
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  • CDN_VT
    CDN_VT Solar Expert Posts: 492 ✭✭✭
    #35
    Re: Solar panel damage from hail storm

    I have also heard that skip out from Insurance underwriters . "Act Of God"

    I disputed the "Act of god" crap due to , not all of the owners from the Marina Boats that were hit by lighting , believe in god , plus this was a Mother Nature storm , That is a woman , and always controls the men , or so Ive seen. I sent that in writing to the agency ,I got my pay-out back. We all did .

    I have earthquake insurance , living 100 miles off the San Andreas fault line , I made sure that God Or Satan had no wording in my policy.
    This is were some insurance companys can have huge wiggle room.

    Like those extended warranty companys for a gas generator .They will cover ,Crankshaft ,piston,rings,block valves and so on , But the seal / gasket that is more likely to fail and cause the oil to leak out, then the seized destroyed piston & rings are not covered , because the seal caused this.

    The Insurance you pay for , YOU have the right to collect !!
    Look who got paid out for the dropped buildings in NY..

    Just again this year I was lipped serviced to death of how my rate has gone up again, and all the new reasons .. From crop insurance to driving , the amount is higher than inflation (if you believe the media..
    Fight for your coverage , or why have it..

    VT
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #36
    Re: Solar panel damage from hail storm

    many of those that were hit by katrina never got paid for their losses and it seems that many of these insurance companies were given a free pass due to the large scope of the disaster that would've put the insurance companies out of business. if it were me i'd have not given them a free pass and divided their assets up to among those that suffered the loss and were paying for this insurance coverage that they did not get paid from. i don't trust insurance companies if you haven't guessed.
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  • jcgee88
    jcgee88 Solar Expert Posts: 154 ✭✭
    #37
    Re: Solar panel damage from hail storm

    I am thinking of getting the "solar reflective" roofing shingles
    when I replace my hail-damaged roof. These range in reflectivity
    from a high of 40% (Certainteed) to typical of 26-28% (GAF,
    Owens-Corning, Malarkey). In comparison, the worse case
    conventional black shingle has 3% reflectivity. I'm guessing my
    current reddish-gray roof had 5-10% reflectivity.

    The solar reflective shingles are supposed to keep your roof
    about 20% cooler. This reduces A/C load as the primary
    benefit. I'm wondering if there is a second benefit - will
    some of that additional reflected solar energy fall on the
    solar panels and increase their yield? The solar reflective
    shingles principally reflect in the "near infra-red" band,
    which might mean they have modest or no effect at all.

    Anyone have any experience in this?

    John
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #38
    Re: Solar panel damage from hail storm

    I've got white elastomeric coating on the cabin roof. It reflects a lot of visible light. It adds nothing to the panel power because it is underneath them; none of the reflected light hits the panels. That is a big factor.

    The roof, btw, is about to be changed. Not the big change I had originally planned, but it still needs replacement. The reflecting did nothing towards lowering roof temperature that I could detect.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #39
    Re: Solar panel damage from hail storm

    There are a few "bi-facial" panels out there--that are supposed to be able to receive significant energy from roof reflections.

    Sanyo HIT are one brand (a very good brand in general-pdf download) says:
    Bifacial Effect
    The back face of HIT Double solar panels generates electricity from ambient light reflected off surrounding surfaces, and combines with power from the front face of the panel. Dependant upon system design and site albedo, this results in up to 30% higher power generation (more kWh) per square foot.

    Do I believe it? Not sure I would guess that high (remembering that most panels shade the roof underneath them--so how much "significant" energy is available (as well as structural framing in many installations).

    Put on a pole, with no significant mounting rails shading rear of panels on snow or sand--maybe possible.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • ggunn
    ggunn Solar Expert Posts: 1,973 ✭✭✭
    #40
    Re: Solar panel damage from hail storm
    jcgee88 wrote: »
    I am thinking of getting the "solar reflective" roofing shingles
    when I replace my hail-damaged roof. These range in reflectivity
    from a high of 40% (Certainteed) to typical of 26-28% (GAF,
    Owens-Corning, Malarkey). In comparison, the worse case
    conventional black shingle has 3% reflectivity. I'm guessing my
    current reddish-gray roof had 5-10% reflectivity.

    The solar reflective shingles are supposed to keep your roof
    about 20% cooler. This reduces A/C load as the primary
    benefit. I'm wondering if there is a second benefit - will
    some of that additional reflected solar energy fall on the
    solar panels and increase their yield? The solar reflective
    shingles principally reflect in the "near infra-red" band,
    which might mean they have modest or no effect at all.

    Anyone have any experience in this?

    John
    If they put more near IR radiation on your modules, they may make your modules hotter, which would reduce their output. PV produces most of its energy from the blue end of the visible spectrum and unless they are bifacial modules, hitting them from the back won't increase their output no matter what.
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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #41
    Re: Solar panel damage from hail storm

    I have Travelers for both the home and auto with $1000 deductible. They made a big enough payout to completely restore the house and almost enough for the caddy dealer to fix all the cars. I was impressed and they came around fairly soon after I called them, like a couple days. They brought in adjusters from all over the US, mine was from Boston. I knew a good General contractor who came around and managed the subs to fix the house.

    Well baseball sized hail would have probably done mine in too. I do have the panels on the homeowners policy at my original purchase price, now that stuff has fallen so much I bet the repair would be fully covered if I took a payout.
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  • rollandelliott
    rollandelliott Solar Expert Posts: 834 ✭✭
    #42
    Re: Solar panel damage from hail storm
    jcgee88 wrote: »
    Incredibly, even the damaged panels are still
    putting out a smidgeon. [Click the link in my signature to see
    current output.]

    I clicked on your link, but it just says zero output. So are you actually going to keep the cracked panels up there for a little more energy?
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  • jcgee88
    jcgee88 Solar Expert Posts: 154 ✭✭
    #43
    Re: Solar panel damage from hail storm

    My entire array, including the damaged panels, were de-installed several weeks
    ago to allow for the roof to be replaced. Unfortunately, the new shingles I ordered
    got delayed, so I ended up with zero output for weeks longer than I expected. In
    any case, the new roof is now done, and my installer is coming over tomorrow (8/1)
    to re-install the array.
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