Beyond the Crack: Identifying Storm Damaged Solar Panels

I’ve been fielding a lot of calls this week from concerned solar owners following the recent hail and wind. While many people go out and look for shattered glass, the reality of solar damage is often invisible to the naked eye.

The "Dual-View" Advantage:

To provide insurance companies with the "all-in-one" proof they need, we utilize Orthomosaic mapping—a bird’s-eye view that combines two critical data layers:

• High-Res RGB: This captures the physical impact. It’s for the cracks, the debris, and the structural shifts.

• Thermal (Infrared): This identifies the internal health. It flags electrical cell anomalies and "hotspots" caused by internal micro-cracks that haven't shattered the glass yet but will degrade your system over time.

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Science of the Scan:

We don't just fly whenever it's sunny. To get reliable data, we wait for a specific atmospheric window:

1. Irradiance: Solar loading must be $> 600$ W/m² at the angle of the panel.

2. Stability: Wind speeds must stay below 17 MPH to ensure thermal accuracy.

On a perfect day, we usually have a 5–6 hour window to capture this data. If you wait too long, those internal anomalies can worsen, leading to significant production loss or even fire risks.

Don't rely on a visual inspection from the ground. Contact [Company Name] for a comprehensive thermal/RGB report that speaks the language your insurance adjuster understands.

Call for more information, 651-410-7033