How Can You Save Your Solar Panels?
The heavy hailstorm that hit Islamabad two days ago surprised citizens. Car windows were broken, and expensive solar panels on the roofs of houses were destroyed.
This kind of damage from hailstorms was rare in Pakistan before, which is why citizens never thought of protecting their properties from this natural disaster.
But now the Meteorological Department has issued another warning — there is a possibility of hailstorms again today.
How Can You Save Your Solar Panels?
According to Waqas Haroon, leader of the Pakistan Solar Association, good solar panels are tested to withstand 4-inch hail, but this is not complete protection.
According to him, “If you want to save the panels, insurance is the only solution.” He said that to protect the panels from damage from strong winds, they must be inspected every three months.
Put a blanket or thick cloth over the solar panels.
According to Fawad Ahmed Sheikh, owner of Green Tech Solar, putting a net or thick cloth on the panels to protect them from hail is a temporary but effective method.
However, in the case of a net, blocking sunlight can affect performance. He says that even if one or two holes are made on the panels, they are not completely ineffective, but the performance is reduced by 10 to 15 percent.
How to protect vehicles?
According to Chaudhry Manzoor, a vehicle denting expert in Islamabad, if the vehicle is running during hail, the possibility of damage increases many times.
Therefore, as soon as the hail starts, immediately stop the vehicle under a bridge, tree or shed.
He advised that a thick layer of foam be applied to the vehicle cover and that a cover be applied to the vehicle if bad weather is predicted.
