Hail shattered most of the panels on the 5.2-megawatt solar farm in Scottsbluff, Nebraska .

submitted by In-the-clouds from (cowboystatedaily.com)

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[–]weavilsatemyface 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

Were those solar panels made in America? Because everywhere else, they're designed to be hail-proof. Solar panels are tough.

[–]thomastheglassexpert 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Where in the HECK did you learn something to write this? I'm likely the only PH.D (Materials Science Glass Engineering) to post here so let me square you up to the facts = PV or Solar "glass" is nothing more/less than exactly that. Just plain Pilkington float glass that is normally provisioned heat strengthened not tempered. There's a big difference there but NOT in impact load to shatter. Tempered can and will break spontaneously via a mechanism called Nickle Sulfide Inclusions (NiS Google it up) but only tempered not HS. PV glass is common at 6mm or 1/4" and quite normal fixed in pitched position to 25~ and many farms have a variable pitch rotator to better angle direct at sun as it traverses the sky from morning to dusk. "Solar panels are tough" = bullshit no they are no different than any other architectural glass. Another comment reply to per below of "where are they made" and answer to that is a bit more than 75% of the entire world's production is China. They make and sell worldwide far more PV glass types than anyone else. No other country even close to them for reasons. any want to hear more then also just Google up the search term "Thomas The Glass Expert" and I am easily found at top of search results.

[–]SoCo 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Tougher solar panels are made better and with better materials. They are also more expensive. They have durability ratings, just like everything else. Even your sunglasses can be rated for impact resistance.

UL 61730 or IEC 61730 rated PV solar panels are rated to withstand 1-3 inch hail traveling 16 - 88 mph.

Nebraska is in an area particularly known for hail more often and larger more destructive hail, as well as tornadoes.

It seems a solar farm in Nebraska, who didn't use panels rated for common Nebraskan weather, might have some liability under SEC laws for risk assessment fraud to investors.

[–]weavilsatemyface 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Where in the HECK did you learn something to write this?

I work for a company that installs solar panels. The glass can be broken (including occasionally by accident) but its not easy.

Just plain Pilkington float glass that is normally provisioned heat strengthened not tempered.

Most solar glass is tempered, at least for the good quality brands.

https://solartechadvisor.com/solar-panel-glass/

Honestly I made a throw-away silly comment expecting somebody to come back and explain that the hail stones were much bigger than normal and maybe even calculate how much force they hit with. I honestly didn't expect somebody who claims to be a class expert try to defend the idea that its normal for solar panels to be smashed up by hailstones.

Edit: also honestly I was thinking about household solar panels. I have no idea what they use in dedicated solar farms out in the desert.

[–]thomastheglassexpert 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

The very reason that HS is recommended is simple as the vast majority of PV glass is sourced out of China. Either just the stock sheets sold by container load or finished product. Since everyone in the glass trade knows what crap PRC glass is it is much more prone to NiS break than virtually any other float on the planet. Since NiS does not occur in HS only in FT then simple solution. The fracture load to break HS is virtually the same as FT and these panels carry NO load structural load nor are they a safety hazard if broken so HS is a perfectly normal solution. For the impact break loads that is easily solved with load-factor-to-break we of the glass industry do that all the time. Several Finite Analyses programs such as MEPLA can do that easily. If a salesman were to tell anyone "o our glass is impact resistant to hailstones" a person like me would tell buying client "that salesman is full of shit telling demonstrable lies just to placate you".

[–]Scolias 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

It's almost like they should have some sort of protection mechanism baked in. Weird.

[–]In-the-clouds[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

The hail that is coming down is what is weird.

FTA:

The company that sold him the panels demonstrated their ability to resist hail damage by firing baseballs at it with a baseball cannon. They also drove a pickup over them. “They’re very durable,” he said.

The panels broke, so we can understand the hail was big and hit hard. Even here in Arkansas I saw this month solar panels busted in my neighborhood. But the world has not seen anything compared to what the prophecies of God warn against:

Hail and fire mingled with blood shall burn all the green grass and 1/3 of the trees. From book of Revelation

Later a plague of hail stones about 100 pounds each (1 talent) shall fall. And men will blaspheme God. But the correct response would be: Repent and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.

[–]SoCo 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

They make some spray on coatings that don't interfere, but they probably don't help much and are expensive. You can buy covers and throw it over your panels before a storm hits.

A big place like this' best bet, may be to tip the panels' angle as best they can before bad weather hits. It doesn't look like they did or could, from the picture. Yet, it sounds like the hail was so extreme nothing really could help much.

[–]Credit2Saidit 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Oh hail no!