What would happen to the ability of solar panels to generate electricity after an intense freak hailstorm?

Question

I'm all for alternative energies like wind power and solar power, but what will happen now that we have twisted nature to unexpected extremes?

One October day this year we woke up to the effects of a freak hail storm that pelted over 2000 cars breaking windows, snapping off rear-view mirrors and denting any metalwork it landed on, damaged plastic awnings, roof tiles and anything that couldn't withstand the impact. It even left golf ball sized marks on the sidewalks, cleaner than the rest of the area.

How would a society largely dependent on solar panels cope with such a disaster? One town barely coped with replacing all the car windows damaged inside a week.

This question is more a heads up to designers than a slur on the technology. I am a firm believer that every roof that sports a solar panel and/or a small wind turbine is is a firm step in the right direction. Aren't all big things made up of a bunch of smaller parts? The Great Wall of China is made up of stone blocks.

Answer 1

I agree, this is a very good question and you've made some wonderful points.  I do think this is something that would need to be watched out for and you put it into perspective very cleverly!  If we started relying a lot more on solar power as an alternative source of power, I am thinking insurance companies would have to extend coverage to these types of things.  After all if anything is installed to a home it becomes "Real Property" instead of "Personal Property" and all "Real Property" is covered under insurance iniciatives.

Answer 2

You ask a good question and possibly answer it in part.

This is another thing for science and technology to grapple with.

It occured to me that insurance companies would also have to re-adjust how they formulate their policies?

Answer 3

i think the panels are ok.  You just gotta replace that shiny layer.  But its actually ok not to.  Its made of a mixture of plastic and silicone.  Its durable in my point of view.