Solar Panels And Hurricanes: What You Need To Know

Living in South Florida has its benefits. From the practically perfect year-round weather and its beautiful beaches, South Florida is practically a paradise. Unfortunately, there’s one major disturbance that stands out from making South Florida nearly perfect: hurricane season. Each year from June 1st through November 30th, South Floridians brace as storm after storm makes its way across the Atlantic ocean. While most homeowners who’ve lived here know how to prepare, each hurricane brings unknown dangers. If you’ve been looking to go solar, you may be considering how they’ll fare when a hurricane comes barreling your way. 

What Happens To Panels In High Winds?

Hurricane winds can range anywhere from 74mph to catastrophic speeds of 157mph. Power lines, trees, and cars can be thrown aside as if they weighed nothing. Category one hurricanes, while the weakest form of known hurricanes, can still cause significant damage to your roof and possibly your solar panels. High enough wind speeds can even rip solar panels right out of their mounts. Thankfully, our mounting system has been tested to survive in 180+mph winds, guaranteeing your solar panels won’t be going anywhere, even in the toughest of storms. 

Will Heavy Rains Damage Solar Panels?

Depending on the strength of a hurricane can vastly change the amount of rain and flooding an area may experience. Homes on the coast will see water levels rise dramatically, potentially to the point of reaching the front door. Storm surges can cause severe damage and leave people stranded for days. Thankfully, solar panels are waterproof, ensuring they won’t be damaged even as a category 4 storm hovers overhead. Even with thick clouds looming in the way of the sun, your panels will still collect sunlight, powering your home even when the rest of your neighborhood is in the dark. 

Before The Storm

When you find out a hurricane is coming towards South Florida, don’t stress. First, make sure you have all the necessary supplies in the event that you don’t have power for portions of the day due to the panels only collecting indirect sunlight. In the event of a devastating level storm approaching, prepare to find the safest and quickest evacuation route. Take pictures and itemize everything in your home. This will be crucial should you need to file a claim due to damages incurred from a hurricane. Additionally, make sure to take photos of the exterior of your home as well. Should your solar panels get damaged at all, they’re likely protected by the solar panel company’s warranty. 

Solar panels are a great power alternative that will survive even the toughest that hurricane season has to throw its way. To ensure your panels don’t go anywhere, consider using Solar Stack. The solar stack mounting system guarantees it can withstand winds even the toughest recorded storms have produced. Contact Solar Stack today by calling us at 877-757-7822 to learn more!