Do Solar Panels Survive Minnesota Hail?

Minnesotans know hail. We’ve all watched a July sky turn that particular shade of green, listened to it hammer the roof, and gone out afterward to check the car and the garden. So it’s no surprise that one of the most common questions we get before an install is a blunt one: if I put panels on my roof, is the next big storm going to smash them?

It’s a smart thing to ask, because hail is a genuine Minnesota risk, not a hypothetical. The reassuring news is that solar panels are built and tested for exactly this, and solar panels and hail damage in Minnesota is a manageable, well-understood risk rather than a reason to skip solar. Here’s the full picture.

Solar Panels Are Tested for Hail

This isn’t a case of hoping for the best. Reputable solar panels are certified to a safety standard, UL 61730 (which incorporates the testing formerly known as UL 1703), that includes a hail impact test. In that test, ice balls are fired at the panel at high speed to simulate hail strikes, and the panel has to survive without failing to earn certification.

The typical test uses ice balls around one inch in diameter launched at roughly 50 miles per hour. That’s a serious impact, comparable to a real severe-storm hailstone. The tempered glass on the front of a quality panel is engineered to take that hit, which is why panels routinely come through hailstorms that dent cars and shred asphalt shingles with no damage at all. Panels are, in many cases, more impact-resistant than the roof they sit on. For the standards themselves, UL Solutions is the certifying body worth knowing.

How They Actually Hold Up in Real Storms

Certification is one thing, but the real-world record backs it up. Large solar installations have been studied after major hailstorms, and the consistent finding is that the vast majority of properly installed, quality panels survive severe hail with little or no damage. Damage, when it happens, tends to come from exceptionally large hail, well beyond the one-inch test size, or from lower-quality panels.

Minnesota does occasionally get those monster storms with golf-ball or larger hail, and no roofing material is truly hailproof against the extreme end. But those events are the exception, and they’re also the kind of storm that damages roofs, siding, and vehicles across a whole neighborhood, not just solar. The everyday summer hail that’s far more common is squarely within what panels are built to shrug off.

Panel angle helps too. Roof-mounted panels sit at a tilt, so many hailstones strike at a glancing angle rather than dead-on, which reduces the force of impact. It’s a small design detail that works in your favor during a storm.

The Insurance Side

Here’s the practical part homeowners appreciate. In most cases, rooftop solar panels are treated as part of your home and are covered under your standard homeowners insurance policy, including for hail damage, the same peril that already covers your roof. That means a rare severe-hail event that damages panels is typically an insurance claim, not a total loss you eat yourself.

A few smart moves: tell your insurer when you add solar so your coverage reflects the added value, confirm that hail is covered and understand your deductible, and keep your installation and equipment documentation handy in case you ever need to file. We go deeper on this in our guide to solar panels and home insurance in Minnesota. Because coverage specifics vary by policy and insurer, treat this as general information and confirm the details with your own agent, Centauri installs solar, we don’t write insurance policies.

What This Means for Your Decision

Put it together and hail stops being a reason to avoid solar in Minnesota. Panels are impact-tested, they perform well in the storms we actually get, and the rare extreme event is generally covered by the same insurance protecting the rest of your home. The bigger levers for a durable installation are choosing quality, well-certified equipment and having it installed correctly by an experienced local team that understands Minnesota weather.

That’s also why warranty and installer track record matter more than worrying about any single storm. A solid equipment warranty and a workmanship guarantee mean that if something does go wrong, you’re not on your own. Our post on how long solar panels last in Minnesota covers the durability picture over the decades, and our solar panel warranty guide explains what protection to look for.

FAQ

Can hail damage solar panels?
It can, but rarely. Quality panels are tested against roughly one-inch hail at about 50 mph and routinely survive severe storms undamaged. Damage usually comes only from exceptionally large hail or lower-quality panels.

Are solar panels hail-rated?
Yes. Reputable panels are certified to UL 61730, which includes a hail impact test using high-speed ice balls. Passing that test is required for certification.

Does homeowners insurance cover hail damage to solar panels?
In most cases, yes. Rooftop panels are typically treated as part of your home and covered for hail under standard homeowners insurance. Confirm the specifics and your deductible with your insurer.

Are solar panels more durable than my roof in a hailstorm?
Often, yes. The tempered glass on quality panels is engineered for impact and frequently survives hail that dents cars and damages asphalt shingles.

Should hail risk stop me from going solar in Minnesota?
No. Panels are built and tested for hail, perform well in typical Minnesota storms, and rare extreme events are generally covered by insurance. Choosing quality equipment and a good installer matters most.

Go Solar With Confidence

Minnesota weather is real, and the right way to handle it isn’t to skip solar, it’s to install quality equipment correctly and back it with a strong warranty. Centauri specs durable, well-certified panels and stands behind every system we install. Request an estimate and we’ll show you how your system is built to handle Minnesota, hail and all.