In response to baseball-sized hail shattering a Texas solar farm, experts say it's not a solar apocalypse but a hail mary for tougher tech.
As reported by Inside Climate News, a hailstorm caused hail to strike solar panels at over 90 mph, causing significant damage to parts of the 350-megawatt Fighting Jays Solar project.
The sight of thousands of panels with broken glass prompted some to doubt the dependability of solar energy, with right-wing media outlets amplifying these concerns.
Despite the dramatic images from the media, the situation is more complex. Earth is getting warmer, and it is leading to more severe weather, including hailstorms.
At the same time, solar power is the fastest-growing source of electricity globally, according to the International Energy Agency. As solar farms become more widespread, developers and manufacturers are taking steps to protect them from extreme weather.
Companies like Nextracker are using advanced weather forecasting and panel-adjustment systems to reduce damage from hail.
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Modern solar farms often use tracking systems that rotate panels to follow the sun during the day. These systems can also go into "stow" mode during storms, angling the panels to avoid direct hits from hailstones. For example, Nextracker's hail mitigation product connects weather forecasts to panel adjustments, significantly reducing potential damage.
Greg Beardsworth, senior director of product marketing at Nextracker, emphasized that the public should consider the broader context of solar power's benefits.
"It was a lot of loud voices and not a lot of fact or valid analysis," he said of the Texas incident.
The dramatic images of damaged solar panels tell only part of the story. The solar industry is proactively addressing the challenges posed by severe weather with innovative technologies and strategies.
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