A powerful hail storm swept across Italy’s Marche region this week, bringing intense thunderstorms, damaging winds, and severe weather conditions along the Adriatic coast. Large hailstones battered parts of the region, causing damage to vehicles, crops, and property while leaving communities facing a difficult cleanup.
Photovoltaic systems have also been affected by the severe weather. “In the 15 years we have been managing PV systems, hail damage has been extremely rare. However, over the past two or three years, these incidents have increased significantly. This summer alone, we have already recorded a second event in the Marche region that has destroyed solar installations,” Michele Mencarelli, the Marche regional representative for Italian PV association Italia Solare, told pv magazine Italia.
Mencarelli explained that these hail events are typically highly localized, affecting specific areas while leaving nearby locations untouched. “Of the approximately 200 systems we manage, only one was damaged in this event, with losses estimated at around €80,000 to €90,000. In early June, a similar storm caused comparable damage to two systems in Monteroberto, near Jesi. A PV system located just a few hundred meters away was unaffected, while the two impacted installations were destroyed.”
Regarding the PV system near San Benedetto del Tronto, Mencarelli said the project benefits from coverage under an “all-risk” insurance policy because it was developed under Italy’s Conto Energia incentive scheme.
“The client has already filed an insurance claim. Companies are now also required to obtain catastrophe insurance, but based on my experience, many insurance policies exclude photovoltaic systems and instead refer customers to dedicated PV insurance coverage,” he added. “The issue mainly concerns newer, non-subsidized installations, where not all owners choose to purchase this type of protection.”
The damage is particularly significant considering that the modules installed at the site are certified for mechanical resistance. “They had always withstood hail events in the past, but weather phenomena have recently become much more intense,” Mencarelli said.
With the frequency of extreme weather events increasing, Mencarelli recommends that PV system owners consider dedicated insurance coverage to mitigate potential losses.
Other media reports and social media posts have also highlighted additional PV systems damaged by the hail storm.
No information is currently available on the size of the hailstones. However, a recent study found that PV installations consistently sustain damage when exposed to hailstones measuring 60 mm or more in diameter, regardless of system configuration.
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