Australia is rapidly expanding its renewable energy capacity, with solar farms at the forefront of the push to reach 82% renewable electricity by 2030. But, alongside this growth comes a serious challenge: severe weather risks to solar farms. For operators, understanding these dangers and knowing how to mitigate them is crucial for protecting assets and ensuring reliable generation.
Solar farms are uniquely vulnerable to extreme weather events because of their scale and exposed infrastructure. The most significant threat is hail damage to solar panels. Between October and April in Australia, severe storms can produce hailstones larger than golf balls, capable of shattering or cracking solar modules. Even minor cracks can reduce efficiency, lead to water ingress, and cause long-term losses.
According to the Mandala-Zurich Climate Risk Index, 95% of solar farm sites in Australia are in the highest risk categories for climate-related perils, particularly hail. This means operators cannot afford to treat hail as a rare occurrence, as it is a consistent and growing operational risk.
Beyond hail, lightning strikes, high winds, and flooding also disrupt solar farm operations, threatening both infrastructure and staff safety.
Yes. Evidence shows that hailstorms are becoming more frequent and severe in Australia, especially across the eastern states. For solar operators, this trend has two critical consequences:
Higher financial losses: Hail damage can cause widespread panel destruction, with one storm affecting thousands of modules.
Accumulation risk: With solar farms often clustered in Renewable Energy Zones (REZs), a single storm can damage multiple sites at once, amplifying industry-wide losses.
As climate change continues to influence weather patterns, the risk to solar operators is expected to grow, making proactive protection more important than ever.
At EWN, we are the leaders in hail risk mitigation in Australia, trusted by insurers and solar operators nationwide. Our SolarAWARE solution is designed specifically to reduce the risk of severe weather damage to solar farms, combining cutting-edge technology with decades of severe weather expertise.
Key features include:
Hail Forecasting – High-resolution, meteorologist-verified forecasts that pinpoint storm risk areas and potential hail size.
Live Hail Tracking & Alerts – Proprietary hail detection algorithms scan radar data across Australia, providing real-time hail alerts with 30–60 minutes’ lead time.
Hail All Clear Notifications – Letting operators know when it is safe to resume operations, reducing unnecessary downtime.
Lightning Alerts – Protecting people and infrastructure from lightning hazards.
Post-Event Hail Reports – Rapid analysis of hail impact zones to support insurance claims and operational recovery.
Historic Hail Impact Reports – Long-term data for site risk assessments, insurance negotiations, and investment planning.
These services give operators the critical time window to stow solar panels, activate protective measures, and protect staff, significantly reducing the financial and operational impact of severe storms.
Australia’s solar industry plays a central role in the transition to a sustainable future. But without hail alerts, hail forecasting, and severe weather intelligence, solar operators risk costly damage and lost generation.
With EWN’s SolarAWARE, operators can stay one step ahead of storms, ensuring their solar farms remain resilient and profitable, no matter how severe the weather becomes.
Contact our solar specialists to find out more
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