Solar Answers → Your Home & Roof
Does hail damage solar panels in Illinois?
Rarely, from typical storms. Certified panels are impact-tested — the IEC 61215 hail test fires 1-inch (25 mm) ice balls at about 51 mph at eleven points on the module — and faced with tempered glass. But hail-resistant is not hail-proof: severe hail can crack cells invisibly or break glass outright. Your tells are monitoring shortfalls and visible damage; your backstops are warranties and homeowners insurance, confirmed in writing before you need them.
Independent public sources we cite and link — The Day Company is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.
How are solar panels tested for hail?
Under certification standards — IEC 61215, with UL 61730 governing safety — every certified module passes a standardized hail test: eleven ice-ball strikes, 25 mm (one inch) in diameter, at about 51 mph, after which the module must show no visible damage and lose less than 5% of its power. The front is tempered glass, engineered to take impact across decades outdoors.
Two honest caveats, straight from the U.S. Department of Energy's hail guidance. That test is the floor, not the ceiling — optional tests exist with larger ice balls at higher speeds, and manufacturers rarely publish those results, so anyone especially worried about hail can ask a manufacturer for written proof of testing above the minimum. And certification screens the design; it is not a guarantee about any specific storm.
What does hail damage actually look like on a panel?
Two very different ways. Visible breakage — shattered or spider-cracked tempered glass — announces itself from the driveway. Microcracks don't: hail can fracture the cells beneath intact glass, invisibly, and that damage shows up only as production quietly running below normal. Which means the single best damage detector you own is your monitoring data, compared against what the system typically produces.
After any serious hail, pull up a clean-sky day and compare it to similar conditions before the storm. A shortfall with no visible damage is precisely the case where a professional inspection earns its fee — and precisely the case most homeowners miss.
Do panels protect the roof beneath them?
Typically, yes — the array takes the hits the shingles would have taken, and panels shield the roofing beneath them from impact, sun, and weather for as long as they're up there. That's protection for the covered area, not a force field for the whole roof: after a storm severe enough to damage roofs, both the array and the exposed roofing around it deserve an inspection.
How the mounts, flashing, and roof warranties fit together — including who stands behind the penetrations — is covered in the roof requirements guide.
Does homeowners insurance cover hail damage to solar panels?
Commonly, yes, for rooftop systems — panels attached to the house are generally treated as part of the dwelling under a homeowners policy. But "commonly" is not "yours": coverage is whatever your specific policy says, and some policies limit or carve out wind and hail. So the real work happens before install — notify your insurer, and get every answer in writing.
The questions that matter: does the system's replacement cost fit inside your dwelling limits; are hail and wind covered, and does a separate wind/hail deductible apply; what happens to the premium; and — if the system is a ground mount — how would it be classified, since detached systems may fall under a different part of the policy than the roof does. One more, easy to forget: if the system is leased, ask whose policy actually covers it — that responsibility often sits with the leasing company, not you. Then document the system while it's healthy: photos, serial numbers, invoices, and a monitoring baseline. It's the same file that smooths a future sale — the document pack — and it's exactly what an adjuster will ask for.
Will the panel warranty cover hail?
Usually that's the wrong door — but check yours. A product warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship; a performance warranty guarantees output stays above a floor over time. Hail is weather, and weather damage typically routes to insurance rather than to either warranty — though terms vary by manufacturer, and no blanket statement substitutes for reading the actual documents.
Before you sign anything, ask the installer to state in writing how storm damage routes — workmanship warranty, product warranty, or insurance — and keep that letter filed with the warranties themselves.
What should you do right after a hailstorm?
Five steps, in order: check monitoring against typical production; look the array over from the ground — never climb onto potentially damaged glass over live electrical equipment; photograph the array and roof with dates, damage or not; call your installer for an inspection if output dropped or anything looks wrong; and open the insurance conversation within your policy's timelines if there's damage.
Even a no-damage storm is worth two minutes: a dated photo and a monitoring screenshot become the "before" for whatever storm comes next.
How big is the hail risk in Illinois, really?
Real, occasional, and manageable — hail here rides along with spring and summer thunderstorms. Certification testing targets the one-inch stone; the storm that exceeds it, wrecking roofs and cars across a neighborhood, is the occasional event the insurance layer exists for. Hail is a reason to prepare the three layers below — not a reason to skip solar.
| Layer | What it is | What it does about hail | What it doesn't do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certification testing (IEC 61215 / UL 61730) | Lab qualification before a module is sold | Screens every certified design against the standardized 1-inch, ~51-mph, eleven-strike test | Not a guarantee for any specific storm — certification isn't a policy |
| Product warranty | The manufacturer's materials-and-workmanship coverage | Covers defects; storm damage typically routes elsewhere — terms vary by manufacturer | Usually not a weather policy — read the exclusions before you need them |
| Performance warranty | A guaranteed output floor over the term | Backstops long-term production per its terms | Doesn't pay for broken glass — a hail claim isn't a performance claim |
| Homeowners insurance | Your policy's dwelling coverage, for rooftop systems | Commonly the layer that actually pays for storm damage | Only what your policy says — confirm hail/wind terms and deductibles in writing |
Hail & Solar Panels FAQ
Can hail break solar panels?
Yes — severe hail can, though typical storms rarely do. Certified modules pass a standardized impact test and are faced with tempered glass, which handles most of what Illinois skies produce. Hail-resistant is not hail-proof: large stones, especially wind-driven ones, can crack glass or fracture cells. The realistic plan is testing, warranties, and insurance — not invincibility.
What size hail can solar panels withstand?
Certification sets the benchmark: the IEC 61215 hail test fires 25 mm — one-inch — ice balls at about 51 mph at eleven points, and the module must show no visible damage and lose less than 5% of its power. Stones meaningfully larger exceed that tested envelope. Optional tougher tests exist, but manufacturers rarely publish results — ask for them in writing.
How do I know if hail damaged my panels?
Two checks. Visually: cracked or shattered glass is obvious from the ground. Electrically: microcracks hide under intact glass and show up only as production running below normal — so compare your monitoring against typical output for the conditions. A shortfall with no visible damage is exactly when a professional inspection is worth the call.
Do solar panels protect my roof from hail?
Typically, yes, for the area they cover — the array takes the impacts the shingles would have, and panels shield the roofing beneath from hail, sun, and weather. They don't protect the exposed roof around them, so after a storm severe enough to damage roofs, have both the array and the surrounding roofing inspected.
Does homeowners insurance cover hail damage to solar panels?
Commonly, for rooftop systems — panels attached to the home are generally treated as part of the dwelling. But coverage is whatever your policy says, and some policies limit wind and hail. Confirm it in writing: replacement cost within your limits, hail and wind specifically, and whether a separate wind/hail deductible applies. Never rely on "commonly" for your own roof.
Will my panel warranty cover hail damage?
Usually not — and it's worth knowing why. Product warranties cover manufacturing defects; performance warranties guarantee output over time. Hail is weather, which typically routes to insurance instead — though terms vary by manufacturer, so read both documents and ask your installer to state in writing how storm damage claims are handled.
What should I do right after a hailstorm hits my solar panels?
Check monitoring against normal production; inspect from the ground — never climb onto potentially damaged glass over live equipment; photograph the array and roof with dates even if nothing looks wrong; call your installer for an inspection if output dropped; and start the insurance conversation within your policy's timelines if there's damage.
Should I tell my insurance company before installing solar?
Yes — before, not after. Notifying your insurer keeps coverage clean and answers the questions that matter: whether the system's replacement cost fits your dwelling limits, how hail and wind are treated, what happens to your premium, and how a ground mount would be classified. Get the answers in writing and file them with the system documents.
Are ground-mounted panels insured the same way?
Maybe not — a ground mount isn't attached to the dwelling, so a policy may classify it differently than rooftop panels, often under coverage for other structures. Don't assume in either direction: ask your insurer specifically how a ground-mounted system would be covered for hail and wind, and get the classification in writing.
Is hail a reason to skip solar in Illinois?
No. Hail here is real but occasional, certification testing screens every module against the one-inch benchmark, panels typically shield the roof they cover, and the rare severe storm is what the insurance layer exists for. Prepare the three layers — testing, warranties, insurance — and hail becomes a manageable line item, not a dealbreaker.
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Sources
- U.S. Department of Energy (FEMP) — Hail Damage Mitigation for Solar Photovoltaic Systems — documents the IEC 61215 hail-test parameters and pass criteria
How to cite: "Do Solar Panels Survive Hail? Illinois 2026 Guide," The Day Company, https://theday.company/answers/solar-panels-hail-illinois, reviewed July 2026.
Changelog: July 18, 2026 — v1 published.