Europe’s Solar Farms Hit by Severe Weather

Thursday 5 September 2024

The surge in hailstorms across Europe is proving to be a significant challenge for solar infrastructure, as highlighted in a recent report by insurance group Chaucer.

Chaucer’s report reveals a worrying 104 per cent increase in hailstorms in Europe over the last year, leading to damage and a subsequent rise in costs for solar infrastructure. The main concern is that hailstorms can cause extensive damage to solar panels by cracking their protective glass, resulting in exorbitant repair costs.

Over the past five years, Europe has experienced a staggering 267 per cent surge in hailstorms, attributed to the impacts of climate change. This upward trend is expected to persist as extreme weather events become more frequent worldwide.

Unfortunately, standard insurance policies for solar farms typically only cover a fraction of the total insurable value (TIV), ranging from 10 to 15 per cent. Additional insurance to fully safeguard solar panels against hail damage is prohibitively expensive, leaving many solar farms uninsured in the face of this growing threat.

While promising technologies are in development, such as AI-driven weather-monitoring systems and crack-resistant tempered films, the current cost of implementing these solutions remains a barrier for many operators.

Alex Nelson, Class Underwriter at Chaucer, noted, “The escalating frequency of hailstorms poses a significant risk to solar installations, leading to substantial damages. Given the limited coverage provided by standard policies, operators often bear a substantial portion of the repair costs, ultimately hindering the expansion of solar energy generation in hail-prone regions.”

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