How Strong Are My Solar Panels?
Close your eyes for a moment and picture a solar panel. They’re pretty big and look very heavy, right? Plus, you’ve already heard us talk about how your solar panels will last for the next decade (at minimum) and work in any weather. So while your panels may be able to stand up to almost anything, it does require some care. Picture the top of your panel and you’ll see that it is made up of a lot of smaller parts that are all working together underneath-- so you might start to wonder if it’s as durable as you first thought it was. Well, we are going to discuss exactly how sturdy your solar panel is.
Let’s briefly go over the layers that make up a solar panel. Most solar panels are made from six primary parts-- the junction box, a back sheet, two layers of encapsulant that sandwich the solar cells, tempered glass, and all topped with an aluminum frame. The junction box is a weather-proof container attached to the back of the solar panel, which connects and protects all the wires that transmit energy. Then comes the back sheet, which is made either from glass or a combination of different polymers and plastic materials. This prevents the system from overheating. From there, you’ll find the two layers of encapsulant, which is usually a fine plastic adhesive that protects all the solar cells during manufacturing, transportation, and installation. This also helps to protect the more fragile cells since it absorbs impacts from bad weather. After the second layer of encapsulant, a layer of glass covers the panel.. This glass prevents debris, dirt, or intense UV rays from harming the panel, as well as keeps installers safe with safer-breaking methods. The final element is the aluminum frame, which plays a critical role in the durability of the entire system. It protects all the layers’ edges from the outdoors, provides additional support, and keeps it lightweight for your roof.
Now that we’ve gone through the layers that make up a solar panel, we can address the original question: how durable are solar panels?
Most solar panels are designed to withstand harsh weather, such as snow storms, hail, hurricanes, and heavy rain. All solar panels are manufactured to meet minimum weather standards, such as being able to stand against hail of 1 inch diameter (roughly the size of a ping pong ball) traveling at 60mph. Also, most panels are able to support at least 5,000 Pascals, or approximately 2 to 4 feet of snow.
While you should not walk across your solar panels, they will have no issue with most weather-related exposure. While your solar panel will have no issues with most weather, you should not put unnecessary weight on your system.
So, to boil it all down, your solar panel is designed to hold up to most natural conditions, weight, and day-to-day use.
Mikaela Klimovitz | February 28, 2022
