Hail Damage and Solar Panels: What's Covered and What to Check After a Storm

Quick answer: Solar panels sold in Australia must pass a hail impact test (25mm hailstones at 82.8km/h), but that’s a minimum standard. Hail in parts of Canberra, Brisbane and regional NSW/QLD can exceed it. If your panels are hit, stay off the roof, check from the ground, check your inverter for fault codes, and get a professional inspection before assuming everything’s fine.

Can Hail Actually Damage Solar Panels?

Yes, though it’s less common than most people assume. Solar panels are built with tempered glass, heated and rapidly cooled to make it roughly 4–5 times stronger than regular glass, specifically to withstand hail. But “hail-resistant” doesn’t mean “hail-proof,” and how much protection you actually have depends on the size of the hail and the panel’s tested rating.

What Australian Solar Panels Are Actually Tested to Withstand?

Every panel on the Clean Energy Council’s approved modules list (a requirement for STC/SRES rebate eligibility) must meet the international standard. Under this standard, panels are tested to withstand ice balls 25mm in diameter travelling at roughly 82.8km/h, fired at multiple points across the panel. That’s the baseline every legally sold panel in Australia must clear.

Why Bigger Australian Hailstorms Can Exceed the Standard?

The catch is that this is a minimum, not a guarantee against everything. Some Australian regions (parts of Canberra, Brisbane and regional NSW and Queensland) regularly produce hailstones well beyond 25mm, sometimes 35–50mm or larger.

Stones that size carry considerably more impact energy than the standard test accounts for, which is why even a well-installed, standards-compliant system can still sustain damage in a severe event. Impact angle and temperature matter too: a side-on hit tends to cause less damage than a direct one, and cold glass can be slightly more brittle than glass warmed by a sunny day.

If you’re in a higher-risk area, it’s worth asking your installer about panels tested to more rigorous hail standards beyond the baseline requirement, since some manufacturers voluntarily test to stricter benchmarks.

Is Hail Damage to Solar Panels Covered by Insurance?

In general, home and contents insurers tend to treat rooftop solar panels as part of the building, meaning storm and hail damage is often covered in the same way roof damage would be. That said, this varies by insurer and by policy, and it isn’t something Sunboost can confirm on your behalf.

Two practical steps: make sure your insurer knows you have a solar system installed and check your specific product disclosure statement for how storm and hail damage is defined and covered. This is general information, not insurance advice. Always confirm the details directly with your insurer

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