Our society is becoming increasingly more aware of the importance of being eco-friendly. If we want to save Mother Earth, we should change our habits, even if it means that our lives will stop being so easy. When it comes to solar panels, they might cost quite a bit, but they don’t cause damage to our planet, and in the long run, you might even save some money. Still, some people are reluctant to buy solar panels because they might think that golf balls could cause costly damage. In a second, you’ll learn whether those worries are warranted.
How resistant to damage are solar panels?
Even though you might be worried that solar panels will break easily when confronted with some hard objects, in most cases, your solar panels should be just fine. No, it’s not a reason to use them to test your striking techniques, but the manufacturers of solar panels test whether their products will withstand the strike of a 1-inch hail moving at over 50 miles per hour. It means that their products won’t break easily. Unfortunately, the companies that manufacture solar panels don’t run their tests using golf balls, but the hail is as close as it gets. If you don’t believe the words of the manufacturers, you could look at some of the recent events. In 2017, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, located in Colorado, was hit by a severe hailstorm. Out of several thousand solar panels, only one did become damaged by the hailstorm. Although the possibility of a golf ball hitting a solar panel is not extremely unlikely, there are other, more real threats that the solar panels must be able to withstand.
Still, golf courses are pretty common in the US, which may not seem like a big problem, but in the near future, more and more people will install solar panels on their rooftops. That’s because the technology is getting better, the panels are now more durable than in the past, and their price is no longer an issue. Unfortunately, it also means that more golf balls will be hitting solar panels. If you are worried that it could happen frequently enough to damage solar panels eventually, there are a few things that could increase their lifespan.
- If you are worried about damaging solar panels, you could try using pinnacle soft golf balls. This way, even if you are unlucky, and the ball hits panels, it won’t cause any damages.
- You should share your concerns with an installer. You could have solar panels installed in a place that should be mostly free of any golf ball hits. If that’s impossible, at least try to install them somewhere where the potential hits wouldn’t hit them at a perpendicular angle. This way, even if the ball hits solar panels, the force won’t be significant.
Although it is possible that a golf ball will hit the solar panels, there are other things that would be far more damaging.
- Before you clean your panels, you should first check their temperature. Why? If the solar panels are hot, and you use cold water, it could lead to a fracture. You could achieve the same result if you use hot water to clean cold solar panels. The durability of solar panels and their resistance to damages is improved in the newer models, but it’s best to be careful, especially when it comes to products that cost quite a lot.
- Solar panels are usually installed on the rooftops, which means that they won’t be damaged by your dog or a kid, but instead, they may be damaged by branches of the trees. If you live in a windy region, it’s best to make sure that there aren’t any trees next to your solar panels. They may withstand the hit of hail or a golf ball, but a big branch might be just too much.
- If you decide to install solar panels anywhere else than on the rooftop, you should inform other household members about their frailty. It might not be true, as solar panels are surprisingly resistant to damage, but it’s best to dissuade your young kids from jumping at them with the full force. The manufacturers don’t test whether solar panels can withstand the impact of a medium-sized kid, but some questions are best left unanswered.
In the upcoming years, more and more golf balls will be hitting solar panels, and that’s because more people decide to go solar. Although it isn’t true that solar panels are invulnerable to being hit by golf balls, they are much more resistant to damage than people think. The experts don’t conduct tests using golf balls, but hail is quite similar in size and weight. History has proven that multiple hits of hail can damage solar panels, though it is a rare occurrence.