It feels a little exhilarating when it happens, but we also cringe a little bit when a hailstorm rolls through, don’t we? When the barrage of noise finally stops, the obvious first words are often: “Jeez, I hope the solar panels are ok!” Unfortunately, though, hail damaged solar panels aren’t always obvious from the ground – which is exactly why a lot of damage goes unnoticed until the reduced performance becomes obvious days, weeks or even months later.
Suspect you might have solar panels damaged by hail? Here are 5 signs worth checking for after any significant hailstorm:
1. Visible cracks or chips on the glass surface
Got a decent pair of binoculars? If not, you might be able to find a safe vantage point to have a good look at the most obvious signs of damage.
Yes, solar panel glass is tempered and built to withstand a reasonable amount of impact – but large or fast-moving hailstones can still crack, chip, or shatter the surface.
What are you looking for?:
- Spiderweb cracking patterns
- Small chips at the edges or corners of panels
- Visibly shattered glass.
Even a small crack matters – it compromises the seal protecting the cells underneath and lets moisture in over time, which causes further damage long after the storm has passed.
But if you can see damage from the ground, that panel definitely needs a proper inspection. Don’t wait for it to get worse!
2. A drop in energy output you can’t otherwise explain
This one is very easy to miss, because it doesn’t show up as anything visible from your vantage point – but it does show up in your monitoring app or your power bill.
Solar panels damaged by hail don’t always crack outright. Sometimes the impact causes microcracks in the cells themselves, invisible to the naked eye but enough to reduce the panel’s ability to generate power efficiently.
If your system’s daily output drops noticeably after a hailstorm and stays lower than it was before – without an obvious explanation like a change in season or more cloud cover, that’s a real signal something’s changed internally.
Most modern systems have an app or portal showing daily and historical generation, which makes this comparison straightforward.
A 5-10% unexplained drop might not seem much, but it’s worth monitoring. And anything larger warrants an inspection sooner rather than later.
3. Discoloured or spotted patches on the panel surface
Sometimes the damage announces itself gradually rather than immediately. As we just mentioned, hail impact can create microscopic fractures in the cell layer beneath the glass that don’t cause an instant, visible crack – but over the following weeks, those fracture points can develop into visible discolouration.
Look for:
- Dark spots
- Discoloured patches
- A mottled appearance where the impact occurred.
This delayed-onset damage is one of the more frustrating aspects of hail damage. The storm passes, everything looks fine, and a problem develops over the following month that traces directly back to that day.
Checking your panels periodically in the weeks after a significant hailstorm – not just immediately afterward – catches this kind of damage before it progresses further.
4. Damage to the frame or mounting hardware
It’s easy to focus entirely on the glass and forget that hail can also affect the aluminium frame and mounting structure holding your panels in place.
Can you see:
- Dents in the frame?
- Bent edges?
- Visibly disturbed mounting brackets?
Might not seem much, but they’re all signs that the impact was significant enough to affect the panel’s structural integrity, not just its surface.
This matters for two reasons. First, frame damage can affect how securely the panel is held to your roof – a genuine safety consideration in future wind events. And second, damaged framing can put stress on the glass and seals in ways that cause problems to develop gradually rather than all at once.
If you notice frame damage, treat it as seriously as cracked glass – even if the glass itself looks fine.
5. Water stains or moisture marks inside the panel junction box
This one requires a slightly closer inspection – but it’s really important, and one of the clearest indicators that hail damage has compromised a panel’s seal.
Each solar panel has a junction box on the back where electrical connections are made. If hail has cracked the glass or damaged a seal – even slightly – moisture can work its way in over subsequent rain events and show up as water staining or corrosion around the junction box connections.
It’s the kind of damage that’s particularly important to catch because it creates an electrical safety risk, not just a performance one. So if you’re wondering can solar panels be damaged by hail in ways that aren’t visible from a casual glance at the roof, the answer is “absolutely”. Moisture intrusion into electrical connections is one of the more serious outcomes.
If you’re comfortable safely accessing the area, a visual check is worthwhile. If not, this is exactly the kind of check a professional inspection covers as standard.
What to do if you spot any of these signs
Any one of these 5 signs is reason enough to book a professional inspection right now. Damaged solar panels from hail are not going to improve on their own – and continuing to run a system with compromised seals or microcracked cells generally means declining performance and a growing risk of more serious failure down the track.
It’s also worth knowing that most home and contents insurance policies cover storm and hail damage to solar systems, provided the damage is documented and reported within a reasonable timeframe. A professional inspection report is typically required to support a claim – which makes getting one sorted a practical step quickly, not just a precautionary one.
Get your system checked after any significant hailstorm
Solar Repair Sydney provides fast, professional inspections for hail-damaged solar panels across Sydney, with experienced solar electricians who know exactly what to look for – including the damage that isn’t visible from the ground. We work across all major brands, including Sofar, Fox ESS, Growatt, GoodWe, Sungrow, and BYD.
If your area has copped a significant hailstorm, don’t wait for a drop in performance to confirm something’s wrong! Get in touch for a fast, no-pressure assessment.
Call today or request a quote online – we’ll get right back to you.
