Broad Shoulders

no panels are hail proof. If they told you yours were, then they were lying

andrew63

Wow. I guess bullet-proof glass isn't either!
http://puresolar.com.au/faq/ Read the second FAQ from the bottom.
I did not use this Company.

No need to thank me for educating you.

Broad Shoulders

Haha. One born every minute

Where does it actually say it is hail proof? All it says is that the panels that company sells have undergone testing at specific conditions (ie: 25mm hail stones fired at the panels). Living in Tanah Merrah I'm sure you are all too familiar with the term "cricket ball sized hailstones". Try 25cms!

Also, I've seen the testing they do myself. The stones are only ever fired at the central parts of a panel's glass to pass that certification, which is always the strongest part of a sheet of glass. The object will more often than not bounce. Shoot that same object at the corner or side of the panel where its structural strength is much weaker and I doubt they will survive a 25mm hit.

It's ok, no need to thank me for educating you

EDIT: The company I work for installed 5000 of those Trina panels recently that you are misreading as being "hail-proof", so I am all too familiar with them. I can assure you, there is no such panel that is hail proof that is in manufacture.

ozzieeagle

Are the solar panels rendered useless once they crack from hail damage, or do they work at reduced capacity and still enable the whole system to work ?

IE: Do you have to fix it straight away, or can you shop around for a good deal ?

Broad Shoulders

They will likely still produce power, albeit at a reduced rate. However, it is highly recommended to remove and replace immediately, due to possible water ingress. This is very bad for your system and could cause a number of potentially dangerous issues.

Often the problem with replacing a panel is not as simple as just finding the right deal. Because it is one panel in a setup it needs to be carefully matched to the others, depending on the array's configuration. If this replacement occurs a year or two after purchase then many manufacturers will not have that panel in production anymore.

andrew63

Sheesh, I hate people that say a statement then change the facts;
You said:
no panels are hail proof. If they told you yours were, then they were lying
But then you say mine are hail proof even if only 25mm? Right? Sounds like you worked for a dodgy company that didn't follow the AUS/NZ ISO guidelines on testing. Also, many companies are advertising their panels as hail proof. Lots of liars out there I guess!

I guess the summary is that in Australia you can get panels that "allegedly" CAN withstand hail up to 25mm or ones that simply CANNOT. Avoid the ones that cannot. Or is your advice don't bother either way?
I bet bullet-proof glass can't withstand a 50mm shell but it's still called bullet-proof!

Kalenge

Quality solar panels made from tempered glass (which most are) are generally considered to be hail proof and would sustain golf ball size hail at the minimum.

Of course that's not to say that in each and every case that it will never get damaged but that is the intended standard.

BadgeIsBack

Very happy with our 3.2 kw system too - we are in credit since November and only expect a bill at the end of each winter.

Broad Shoulders

But they are not hail proof are they?????!!!!! If you claim categorically that a panel is "hail proof" and a 100mm piece of hail goes and shatters the tempered glass then you will be liable. Read the fine print of their claims, I promise you no company will be warrantying that circumstance. It is marketing BS, pure and simple. Attached is an example I received over the weekend. A Suntech panel, that is tested and certified to exactly the same standard as the one listed on that bogus website. Cyclone Yasi did this last year. I spoke with the local there and they said they had 80mm hail stones during that time. Just because Suntech panels passed the AUS/NZ ISO guidelines does not mean the company (and I know Trina are no different) will be swapping it out for free. It is an empty marketing claim.
You can try all you like to justify your brainwashed opinion, but I know what these companies' small prints say and the panels are built to withstand up to 25mm stones hitting at specific parts of a panel. I know this, because I see this day to day with my job. That to me, does not constitute hail-proof. I think you would be pretty pissed off if you as a consumer purchased this panel thinking it was hail proof only for it to be shattered when something bigger than 25mm comes along, which as you'd know is more common than not in QLD!

Broad Shoulders

My point is, that in a country like Australia, where it is not uncommon to come across much larger sized hail stones, that the claim of a panel being "hail-proof" is completely bogus. You can believe what marketing BS you like, I'm only pointing out my hands-on experience of the last 2 years in dealing with panel installations in and around QLD

Brisbane bound

We have been told we can't have solar panels on our roof because it is a decromastic roof (... I think that is the name of it but no idea if that is how it is spelt. It looks like the roof is tiled but it is metal and can get damaged easily if you walk on it in the wrong place).
Anyway, I was wondering is there any reason why they couldn't go on the roof over our deck (a new one that withstood a cyclone), or on the side of the house (I saw that on Grand Designs on a house in London).
I just feel so frustrated that we have not been given any other options. Surely, they can go somewhere else that gets the sun? The roof of our deck would get the sun for the most part of the day or am I talking nonsense?

Broad Shoulders

So long as there is a structural engineering report that says that it can take that weight, then there is no reason why it couldn't go on there

Brisbane bound

Yes, I thought it had to be a possibility.

Just wonder why none of the companies have suggested other options. I have just had a look on line and see that they can be erected on top of poles in the ground (using racks and mounts) and are adjustable so they get the best of the sun all year. This could be a possibility over the car port at the side of the house, that just happens to get the sun all day.

I just don't know why nobody has suggested this. I am thinking it is because the companies are doing so well with bog standard, easy to install sales and can't be bothered with the sort of thing I am talking about because they have enough business.

Very frustrating because we could have had it done ages ago when we were cementing the carport.

Broad Shoulders

Tilts can add quite a bit of expense to the overall price. Often, the pay back period is a lot higher when putting tilts in. The efficiency improvement from putting on tilts often does not offer the best ROI

Brisbane bound

Okay, I see what you're saying. Thanks for that.