Solar power |
How PV can withstand the age of climate-driven weather extremes
Solar power is quick to deploy, decreasingly expensive and, perhaps most importantly, our planet’s most abundant energy source. But there is a lesser-known aspect of the solar success story: the driver of renewables deployment — climate change — can wreak havoc on solar infrastructure
Dr Rémy Parmentier Head of Solar & Hybrid, Vaisala
From powerful gusts of wind and devastating hailstorms to heat waves that strain grid capacity to its breaking point, the solar industry must think beyond efficiency and consider the battle for resilience. And that battle begins with data.
Solar power’s climate problem Solar’s global momentum is enormous. Benefiting from supportive policies and modular technology, solar energy has emerged as the solution of choice across applications from small residential rooftop systems to massive, utility-scale installations. With nations (or at least many of them) retiring fossil fuels, companies pledging to net-zero commitments and utilities investing billions into green energy initiatives, solar photovoltaics is set to become the largest renewable source by 2030. But the industry’s forward velocity doesn’t protect it from yesterday’s “rare storm” becoming a regular event. Yet, that’s exactly what’s unfolding. Between 1980 and 2025, the United States alone experienced 403 confirmed weather/ climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion. Interestingly, the 1980–2024 annual average is nine events, but the yearly average for 2020–2024 explodes to a whopping 23 events. Climate volatility worldwide now extends into previously stable areas, expanding mild- weathered terrain into hazardous areas for hail, lightning, wind and other inclement weather. Solar farms — typically situated in vast, sun- bathed spaces — are particularly vulnerable. The contradiction is striking: We must harness solar power to combat climate change, but climate change increasingly threatens solar generation.
Closely examining wind and hail Let’s begin with wind. Strong winds, whether hurricanes, thunderstorm outflow or surprise gusts, present one of the greatest mechanical threats to solar farms. Uplift forces can shear panels from racks. Debris can rip through the air, putting equipment in harm’s way. And trackers, if not secured on time, can be twisted irreparably. Consider the case of Storm Darragh. With gusts reaching 96 miles per hour, the 2024 storm pummeled the 190 acre Porth Wen solar farm in North Wales, destroying hundreds of panels and causing considerable economic damage. A Vaisala study of almost 1000 solar facilities
Vaisala WindCube Scan wind lidar system installed at RayGen’s Carwarp solar farm, Australia (photo: Vaisala/RayGen)
worldwide determined that 68% of them fall within medium- or high-risk classes for wind damage. Locations employing single-axis trackers or heliostats are especially susceptible because their moving parts contribute to exposure. Even worse, physical damage forces solar farms into downtime for repairs and replacement. Traditional solar installation wind protection strategies utilise methods that offer some protection, but their limited predictive capabilities still hamstring decision-makers.
Throw hail into the mix. Although perhaps an uncommon annoyance, those pellets of frozen rain can devastate solar arrays. One hailstorm in West Texas ruined over 400 000 PV panels, prompting a record breaking insurance payout. Hail represents only 1.4% of all solar insurance claims but 54% of their cost.
And insurers have taken note. Hail coverage is divided up, often capped, among several carriers, leaving providers in a fragmented risk environment that’s rarely equipped to react quickly enough. Worst of all, severe weather doesn’t only ding panels — it dings profits.
Weather resilience: a bottom-line issue
Out-of-service time for stowing or retrieval cuts electricity production. Months can elapse before
42 | September 2025|
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repairs can be done. And don’t forget reputation risk: investors and off-takers want clean energy to be reliable, but a single storm can erode that confidence overnight.
Even worse, solar operators often have no idea how specific weather evolves for their sites. Decisions are too frequently made based on generalised forecasts, fixed design expectations and outdated climate models, creating the classic dilemma of under- or over-reacting. Panels could be folded too soon, wasting production hours, or folded too late, causing expensive damage.
The missing link? Real-time, hyperlocal insight.
From reaction to prevention with sophisticated weather intelligence The silver lining, though, is that we are no longer always on the defensive. The solar industry has the technologies available now to predict, react to and even anticipate extreme weather. Advanced weather intelligence combines three crucial data sources:
Historical information: decadal patterns of storms, wind speeds, hail occurrence and other extremes.
On-site observations: real-time measurements by technologies such as lidar, anemometers or hail impact sensors.
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