What to Watch for After a Summer Hailstorm if You Have Solar Panels
Summer hailstorms can be intense and move fast. If you have solar panels, knowing what to look for afterward — and what you can and can't assess from the ground — helps you decide when to call for a professional inspection. This guide walks through the ground-level visual checks and the monitoring data checks that matter most in the days after a significant storm.
What Hail Can Do to Solar Panels
Solar panels are built to handle weather. Most residential panels are tested to withstand hailstones of a certain size at certain impact speeds — the manufacturers publish this information in their documentation. That said, no panel is indestructible, and large, fast-moving hail has been known to crack glass, chip cell surfaces, or compromise the encapsulant layer beneath the glass.
The concern isn't always immediate. A panel that looks intact after a storm may have developed microcracks in the cells that only show up as reduced output over time. That's why monitoring data in the weeks after a hail event is as important as the initial visual check.
The Ground-Level Visual Inspection
Go out and look at your panels from the ground as soon as it's safe to do so. You don't need to climb on the roof — in fact, you shouldn't unless you have the right equipment and experience. What you're looking for from ground level:
Obvious glass damage. Cracked, shattered, or visibly missing sections of the panel's glass surface are the clearest sign of impact damage. If you can see white star-shaped fractures or missing glass pieces, that's a panel that needs professional attention promptly.
Pitting or scuffing. At certain angles in good light, you can sometimes see surface pitting or frosted areas where repeated impacts have disrupted the glass surface. This is subtler and harder to spot, but worth noting if you see it.
Physical displacement. Check whether any panels appear to have shifted, tilted, or come loose from their racking. Hail storms often come with high wind, which can stress mounting hardware. Any visible movement in the racking is a reason to call for a professional inspection.
Visible damage to wiring or conduit. Where conduit runs down the roof or along the exterior of the home, check for physical impact damage. Damaged conduit is a weatherproofing concern.
What to Check in Your Monitoring App
Visual checks only tell part of the story. After any significant storm, pull up your monitoring platform — whether that's an inverter app, a third-party monitoring service, or your utility's portal — and look at your daily production data.
Compare pre- and post-storm production. If you had several clear, sunny days before the storm, you have a good baseline. A significant drop in daily production on comparably clear days after the storm is a signal that something changed.
Look for any fault or error codes. Many inverters will log fault events when a panel or string falls outside expected parameters. These codes are often accessible through the monitoring app and can give an electrician useful diagnostic information before they arrive.
Watch the trend over a few weeks. Some storm-related degradation is gradual. If production dips a few percent and doesn't recover as weather improves, it's worth having a professional assess whether any panels sustained cell damage.
When to Call for a Professional Inspection
A professional inspection is the right call in any of these situations:
- You can see visible damage from the ground — cracked glass, displaced panels, damaged conduit.
- Your monitoring data shows a production drop that isn't explained by weather or season.
- The hailstorm in your area was unusually severe (large stone size, extended duration, very high wind).
- You haven't had a professional look at the system since it was installed and this feels like a natural checkpoint.
A professional will get on the roof, inspect each panel closely, check wiring and connectors, and test the system's output. They can also help you document any damage for an insurance claim.
A Word About Insurance
If your panels sustained damage, homeowner's insurance may cover some or all of the repair or replacement cost — panels are typically covered as part of the home's structure. The documentation process usually requires photos and a professional assessment. If you think you may have a claim, get the professional inspection done before doing any repair work yourself, and save your monitoring data from before and after the storm.
Ready to Have Your System Checked?
If you're in New Mexico and your panels took a hit during storm season, getting a professional assessment is straightforward and worth doing sooner rather than later.
Request a quote and we'll schedule an inspection.