PV and hail protection: a significant advantage
Severe hailstorms can damage building envelopes in a very short time. Find out why a solar system can also provide effective protection against hail in today's blog.
A few minutes are enough. Dark clouds, rain sets in, and suddenly ice pellets are pelting down from the sky. Hail is an unpredictable side effect of beautiful summer days, leaving behind dented cars, cracked windows and significant roof damage. With climate change progressing, hailstorms are becoming more frequent and more severe. Solar systems therefore also need increased protection.
Hail resistance classes: What you need to know
The reliability of a component in withstanding the impact of hailstones is classified into five hail resistance classes (HR1–HR5). The classification is based on standardised tests: ice balls of a defined diameter and weight are fired at the component at a specified angle and calculated speed. HR1 stands for very low resistance, HR5 for the highest resistance. The most common roof tiles are certified as HR3.
- HR3: withstands 3 cm hailstones (walnut size) with an impact speed of around 86 km/h.
- HR4: withstands 4 cm hailstones (golf ball size) with an impact speed of around 100 km/h.
- HR5: withstands 5 cm hailstones (chicken egg size) at an impact speed of around 110 km/h.
The modules are tested and certified by an independent laboratory. The results are entered in the Swiss Hail Protection Register, where they can be viewed by building owners and insurance companies.
The HR class has no influence on other quality characteristics such as performance, efficiency or ageing resistance, and a high value does not mean that a component is indestructible. Testing is carried out under laboratory conditions. In a thunderstorm, larger or sharp-edged hailstones, atypical impact angles or pre-existing damage to the modules can still cause damage. However, a damaged building envelope with HR5 is covered by building insurance, which may no longer be the case with HR3 in future.
Image source: Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss
In the red areas, HR5 is the future-proof choice, even though severe hailstorms are rare and HR3 is currently the standard: the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology assumes that at least one class 4 hailstorm will occur in both the Swiss Plateau and the Jura mountains over the next 20 years.
Dardan Arifaj, Sales Manager for German-speaking Switzerland and Austria at Megasol, recommends: ‘Anyone planning a solar installation should therefore not only focus on the current standard, but also keep an eye on possible changes to insurance conditions.’
Why HR5 is already worthwhile:
There are increasing indications among experts that higher hail resistance could soon become a prerequisite for the approval or insurance of solar installations. The background to this is the realisation that many existing installations are not adequately protected against increasingly severe hailstorms and the rising number of claims.
Although class HR3 will still be sufficient for insurance purposes in 2026, stricter requirements for hail protection are already under discussion. Insurance companies and cantonal building insurers are currently examining whether higher minimum requirements could help to prevent future damage. Some insurance companies are even offering financial incentives for installations with voluntarily higher hail protection.
It is therefore conceivable that insurance companies will reduce or refuse to pay claims for installations with HR3 in the event of damage. Those who opt for HR5 today not only provide optimum protection for their installation, but are also well equipped for future conditions.
Hail protection for solar systems: What you should bear in mind
Hail resistance class is already part of planning, tendering and product selection. Due to increasingly frequent extreme weather events, it will become even more important in the future.
We have therefore summarised the most important tips from our experts.
The following applies to planners and builders:
- Design systems so that they can withstand future extreme weather conditions.
- Check HR5 as a best practice standard.
- When taking out insurance, document the hail resistance class to avoid any disputes in the event of damage.
For installers, this means:
- Clarify the required hardware class at an early stage in quotations and tenders.
- Inform customers of possible insurance requirements.
- Consistently opt for HR5 – even if HR3 or HR4 would currently still suffice.
Both LEVEL in-roof modules and framed on-roof modules from Megasol offer the best possible protection against hail damage.
HR5 hail protection as standard – glass-glass modules from Megasol
Megasol already offers several module series that are HR5-certified and can withstand even extreme hail events. These include the frameless glass-glass modules in the FAST, LEVEL, MATCH Slate and MATCH Tile product lines, as well as the high-performance M490 module, currently the most powerful framed module on the Swiss market.
For a sustainably protected home – choose solar modules from Megasol.
