Causes of Home Solar Panel Damage and How to Replace Panels

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The typical solar panel production warranty is 25 years with a 10 to 12 year panel warranty for defects and environmental damage. In other words, your panels are built to offset home electricity use for decades when properly maintained. Although uncommon, solar panels can be damaged. The following provides some of the ways they do get damaged and what you can do about it.

Broken Solar Panel Glass

Solar panel glass may be damaged or shattered by falling branches, trees, or rocks. When a solar panel is hit, the tempered glass will break into small pieces held together by adhesive. When the shattering happens on a small portion of the panel glass, it may still absorb enough sunlight to produce energy, but it will degrade over time even if the glass is waterproofed. If the glass is completely cracked, the entire panel will need to be replaced.

Storm Damage

Solar panels can be damaged by severe storms, including Arizona’s summer monsoons. Even though solar panels are factory-built to withstand lightening, rain, wind, hail, and snow, they are not indestructible. Generally, it’s difficult to repair a panel damaged by severe weather, and a reputable solar panel installer will need to be called in to replace a damaged panel.

Micro Cracks

Solar panels don’t have any moving parts, but exposure to extreme weather conditions, ultraviolet light and chemicals can cause micro-cracking and corrosion over an extended period of time. Panels can develop micro-cracks which are not visible to the human eye. If the efficiency of your solar system begins to decrease too much, you will need to call an expert to help replace the damaged solar panels. Don’t worry, your solar panel warranty will typically cover damage caused by micro cracks.

Solar Cells and Wiring

Solar cells and wiring are encapsulated on the front and back to protect the photovoltaic layer (PV). The encapsulant keeps out weather elements such as humidity. However, excessive temperature changes can cause the encapsulate to lose adhesion, allowing moisture in. This can result in solar cell short circuits and corrosion to the wiring.

Do you have one or more solar panels with damage? At Cool Blew Solar, our team of professional solar panel installers can assess damage and help you decide the best course of action. When you need to replace or repair your solar panels, call your Cool Blew Solar panel professionals at 1-623-234-2836. Call us today!