ENER Baseball-Sized Hail Wreaks Havoc on Million-Dollar 5.2 Megawatt Community Solar Project in Nebraska, Destroying Over 14,000 Solar Panels (OP June 23)

Macgyver

Macgyver

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Were going to be adding some solar here on the house soon.
Going the leased route for now because interest rates are way to high to do anything.
We can buy it out any time after the first year and even after being bought out they cover any failure/damage including hail under warranty for 25 years.

Once I build a new shed I'll start playing with my own stuff out there.
 
jed turtle

jed turtle

a brother in the Lord
I have always made my arrays so that I can manually change the tilt from vertical, or nearly so, to almost any other angle To maximize seasonal gain and yet still protect them in case of a rare hail storm,- assuming I am home before the hail arrives.
 
Dobbin

Dobbin

Faithful Steed
Sooth said:
100 Watt solar panels are not what is typically found on household solar installs.
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I only took that number to demonstrate what an actual return might be - and to demonstrate "availability."

"Running" for a solar panel is completely different from "running" for a gas generator.

As is "running out of fuel." No trips to the solar station for a quick fill-up. Your battery ($) serves that purpose.

Har. Horselaugh.

Owner keeps talking about setting up his pair of 45W Amorphous Harbor Freight panels. I think he's holding that thought in reserve in case Joe Biden gets his way and cuts off petroleum fuels entirely.

Dobbin
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie / FJB!
jed turtle said:
I have always made my arrays so that I can manually change the tilt from vertical, or nearly so, to almost any other angle To maximize seasonal gain and yet still protect them in case of a rare hail storm,- assuming I am home before the hail arrives.
Click to expand...
That can be done on a small home system, plus small wind turbines can be taken down if a tornado is sighted in the area. That's doable. It's not as doable with the large commercial systems, apparently.

I think that's the other problem: some of these company engineers have never lived in the Midwest, where tornadoes, large hail, and blizzards are a way of life. You've got to design for that, whether it's a solar system or a whole homestead.
 
WFK

WFK

Senior Something
Dobbin said:
I only took that number to dem onstrate what an actual return might be - and to demonstrate "availability."

"Running" for a solar panel is completely different from "running" for a gas generator.

As is "running out of fuel." No trips to the solar station for a quick fill-up. Your battery ($) serves that purpose.

Har. Horselaugh.

Owner keeps talking about setting up his pair of 45W Amorphous Harbor Freight panels. I think he's holding that thought in reserve in case Joe Biden gets his way and cuts off petroleum fuels entirely.

Dobbin
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I knew your owner hadn't set up anything when he calculated what he could get out of a 100-Watt panel!
 
A

anna43

Veteran Member
Large hail is not uncommon in that area. When I lived about 50 miles west of there in Wyoming, we lost 1600 acres of wheat just a week before harvest to large hail.

Actually, large hail is not that uncommon in the Midwest and a few years back as swath of hail was so large and sharp that it striped siding off houses and destroyed roofs much more. Baseball and even softball hail isn't uncommon. Sometimes the hailstones are smooth, but sometimes they are wicked sharp.

I have a steel roof with high rating for hail that had to be replaced after a hailstorm with much smaller hail. If the hail is large enough to chip the finish on the steel, it is considered a total loss and has to be replaced.
 
P

Profit of Doom

Dismember
Meemur said:
That can be done on a small home system, plus small wind turbines can be taken down if a tornado is sighted in the area. That's doable. It's not as doable with the large commercial systems, apparently.

I think that's the other problem: some of these company engineers have never lived in the Midwest, where tornadoes, large hail, and blizzards are a way of life. You've got to design for that, whether it's a solar system or a whole homestead.
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Read a SciFi story that had the farm buildings and house on pontoons or something that would float, utilities were flexible and buildings were tethered so they would return to their foundations when the water recedes. Love SciFi.
 
M

Murt

Veteran Member
there is probably over 5000 acres of solar farms near me (middle GA)
I just got a call from the company that I lease hunting land from----they are canceling my lease
the land is being sold to a company putting in another 2000-6000 acres of solar panels
that is a least 2000 acres of wildlife habitat gone----the area is loaded with deer-turkey-bears and hogs as well as all kinds of small game
so much for the green part
 
A

Abe Froman

Senior Member
Murt said:
there is probably over 5000 acres of solar farms near me (middle GA)
I just got a call from the company that I lease hunting land from----they are canceling my lease
the land is being sold to a company putting in another 2000-6000 acres of solar panels
that is a least 2000 acres of wildlife habitat gone----the area is loaded with deer-turkey-bears and hogs as well as all kinds of small game
so much for the green part
Click to expand...
The “green part” is dollar bills.
 
West

West

Senior
Murt said:
there is probably over 5000 acres of solar farms near me (middle GA)
I just got a call from the company that I lease hunting land from----they are canceling my lease
the land is being sold to a company putting in another 2000-6000 acres of solar panels
that is a least 2000 acres of wildlife habitat gone----the area is loaded with deer-turkey-bears and hogs as well as all kinds of small game
so much for the green part
Click to expand...

That's a crime! Disgusting and sad situation.
I'm so sorry to read this. Hopefully God will see justice and send basket ball size hail to said AO!
 
Cacheman

Cacheman

Ultra MAGA!
One of these companies wanted to build a solar farm in our township, thankfully our town board is still run mainly by farmers.

In the conditional use permit the company would have to deposit into escrow for 30 years the amount of money estimated to clean up the site after it's life expectancy ran out.

Nobody heard from the company again.
 
Red Baron

Red Baron

Paleo-Conservative
_______________
Cacheman said:
One of these companies wanted to build a solar farm in our township, thankfully our town board is still run mainly by farmers.

In the conditional use permit the company would have to deposit into escrow for 30 years the amount of money estimated to clean up the site after it's life expectancy ran out.

Nobody heard from the company again.
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Yup,

Money talks and bullsh*t walks.

In your case, B.S. walked. LOL
 
M

marsofold

Veteran Member
A steep angle on the panels (60 degrees?) will greatly lessen the chances of hail damage and boost the output in winter.
 
P

Publius

TB Fanatic
Murt said:
there is probably over 5000 acres of solar farms near me (middle GA)
I just got a call from the company that I lease hunting land from----they are canceling my lease
the land is being sold to a company putting in another 2000-6000 acres of solar panels
that is a least 2000 acres of wildlife habitat gone----the area is loaded with deer-turkey-bears and hogs as well as all kinds of small game
so much for the green part
Click to expand...
Yep the not so green deal that government is selling us.
 
Signwatcher

Signwatcher

Has No Life - Lives on TB
When I went to Flake City, earlier this week, I saw thousands of solar panels in about three Solar Farms.

I thought that they appear quite vulnerable.

Davison MI, got hit real hard recently with softball size hail. REALLY did a lot of damage to houses and cars, including a car dealership.

I know The Good Book tells about huge hailstones the size of 90 to 100 pounds.

Those kind of storms mean lights out in more ways than one.
 
AddisonRose

AddisonRose

On loan from Heaven
Now which climate change idiot did not see that coming? We have the eclipse on the eighth, they're worried about electricity because we won't have solar power. The climate czar does not figure things like this out? Just continue to blow smoke up peoples asses.
 
S

SciFi Lover

Member
Has the potential to be much worse than that. I live about 80 miles from the center line of the eclipse passage, and the projected sun coverage at our site is over 97%. So a huge portion of the country is going to lose solar production. Are they going to ramp up carbon plants for what, a couple of hours? This anymore can be a huge hit to a local area depending on the make up of the grid in that area. Michigan wants to go woke on electricity, so yes, down the road this will become tough to recover from. Then throw in weather - - -
 
bw

bw

Fringe Ranger
SciFi Lover said:
Has the potential to be much worse than that. I live about 80 miles from the center line of the eclipse passage, and the projected sun coverage at our site is over 97%
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For how long? The moon's shadow moves quickly. This is like a bunch of clouds coming over. 100% coverage is not unusual for many hours or days, depending on the weather. This is like a front going through, and then it's sunny again.
 
ainitfunny

ainitfunny

Saved, to glorify God.
Grandma sez-
Why dont they have motion detectors detect hail and drop them to vertical or with their (hopefully metal) back side up, till 15 min after the hail stops?
 
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anna43

Veteran Member
ainitfunny said:
Grandma sez-
Why dont they have motion detectors detect hail and drop them to vertical or with their (hopefully metal) back side up, till 15 min after the hail stops?
Click to expand...
With the large sized hail, nothing is going to stop the damage it would just be a different type of damage. I don't think there is anything that can survive a direct hit from baseball sized hail. Animals in fields die, crops are destroyed, buildings are destroyed, vehicles are destroyed and anything else that gets hit is killed or destroyed.
 
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