Solar panels in gales...

Equaliser123

Yut_Man wrote: »

I wish I had not made any comment on this topic. It has put a curse on me. just over a hour ago my house got hit with what can only be described as a mini tornado. 2 Fence panels where lifted 5ft into the air from there concrete housing and merrily sailed down the road with me giving chase. having recovered them dripping wet with soggy slippers, 2 fruit trees had been blown down, 10 year old trees. but while going out into my back garden to see what could be done I noticed the side panel of my conservative had been completely blown off and was smashed into bits. It has been there for 12 years, the panels where blown from the inside out. Very strange. Then I remembered this post. OMG I thought better check my solar panels it would just be my luck. There totally untouched. So im confident that the panels can survive anything even if my house cant.

Im totally stunned that my house can fall apart so easily, ive lived in it for 20 years with not a single thing happen and then this.

Crikey! Sorry to hear that. Pleased you have sort of given me some comfort about the PV panels though!

Hope you can get it all sorted asap.

zeupater

Hi

It certainly makes you think about those who have cheap mountings which are drilled through the tiles .... exactly how much do tiles flex when under any sort of load ? ...

Anyway, I would hope that decent installers should have modelled the installation and have windloading calculations available for the system .... mine did .....

HTH
Z

bjohnson

I think this is why the roof structure is so important. It's the upward forces that cause damage, rather than the weight of the panels.

munchkin88

Most mounting kit is tested for windloading etc in these conditions and you should be able to find the information online if you look for it. Most installers will fit more brackets or use 3 coachbolts per hook rather than 2 if its in a rural area or higher risk area. Thats how i design/spec the systems when its in a windy area.

Barter

Yut_Man wrote: »

I would imagine the solar system would be covered by most house insurance policies...

Sorry, just come to this post, & couldn't help a smile at the thought of any earth-based insurance company taking on
responsibility for the whole solar system...:)

Cardew

Barter wrote: »

Sorry, just come to this post, & couldn't help a smile at the thought of any earth-based insurance company taking on
responsibility for the whole solar system...:)

There is a £50 excess for 'Black holes'

ctdctd

Barter wrote: »

Sorry, just come to this post, & couldn't help a smile at the thought of any earth-based insurance company taking on
responsibility for the whole solar system...:)

Nah, they wouldn't do it. They'd call it an act of God.

Yut_Man

haha very funny.

jay1181

Hi in the storm we had few days ago our neighbours if you can call them that we live 4 miles from them as we have a 60 ac land/farm house had theirs damaged due to the wind it ripped one large panel off and it smashed onto their car . Maybe this was just a one off as i can remember when they were being fitted it looked like a 17 yo apprentice was being left to fit them. I spoke to them this am to be be told that the insurance is not going to pay out act of god so they say so i believe he is quite peeved to say the least.

Cardew

jay1181 wrote: »

I spoke to them this am to be be told that the insurance is not going to pay out act of god so they say so i believe he is quite peeved to say the least.

So isn't a lightening strike, a tree blowing onto the house, floods etc an 'act of god'?

What is isurance for?

If they did notify the insurance company about solar panels, they should take the matter up with the ombudsman.