How to avoid stone damage to roof mounted solar panel

[Kippie]

I have recently installed a 100W solar panel on my roof rack. Then I started thinking about all those small rocks hitting and chipping my windscreen when driving on gravel roads and wonder if they would crack the glass panel of the solar panel on the roof.
Any experience or suggestions?

 

[Hoyks]

They are covered with toughened glass, not laminated, so should be impact resistant. You need pretty big hail to smash them.

That said, a sharp impact to the edge of the glass can be catastrophic.

 

[CTL]

Aren’t the roof mounted panels at like 90 degrees to the direction any stones would be coming from?

 

[discomatt]

Keep the shiny side up, it will be fine

 

[RBJET]

Mines been on for a few years without an issue. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[dabbler]

Do you ever get stone chips on your vehicle roof ? I'd wager few people experience this type of damage.

There certainly are a large number of vehicles with rack mounted solar panels and a large number are mounted up front and angled at 45 to roofline. Can't be high risk.

 

[dabbler]

Aren’t the roof mounted panels at like 90 degrees to the direction any stones would be coming from?

I once watched a rock bounce along diagonally across the bonnet of my vehicle then hit the windscreen. The chip pattern on the paintwork was like a skipping stone on water, the each strike was closer to the last (about 8 altogether), the windscreen was just pitted.

I was only doing 80kmh leaving Gympie southbound.

 

[red hilux]

like the front radiator getting covered in bugs, I cover my solar panel in shade clothe. Havent managed to get a stone chip up there yet.



they are made to take a hit, I mean, look at big hail stones in winter,

 

[Komang]

It will still producing wattage if only the clear layer shatter into pieces. Produce around max 20-50% from your solar capacity.