LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — With strong gusty winds in the valley over the past few days, Louise Helton, the owner of 1 Sun Solar Electric says winds can cause more property destruction than you think.
“We get those microcells that just come from out of nowhere and it can stir up a bold wind that can really do some damage to a lot of things and solar panels are things we need to be careful of,” Helton said.
She also added that while solar panels are designed to withstand damaging winds, it all comes down to the condition of your roof and installation quality.
“So you locate the trusts, that would be running this way and you place this where you need it be with clamps facing every four feet and then it goes into the trusts with huge lag bolts that reach through everything,” she said.
Les Lazareck is a member of Solar Nevada, the local chapter of the American Solar Energy Society. He says while it’s possible winds may lift and blow away solar mats, they’re at the mercy of the sun.
“Solar mats are more limited by the heat, they’re not warranted like 25 years like most panels are. Probably will have a 5-10 year life and they’re just going to disintegrate and then replace it,” Lazareck said.
Both Lazareck and Helton say routine maintenance is key, as well as keeping an eye on your power bills and your roof.
“We recommend you check once a year to make sure your connections are all solid and everything is good, it’s a service we provide,” Helton tells 8 News Now.
“As more and more solar panels are installed, the odds of finding more anomalies or installation issues will probably come to the surface more,” Lazareck also added.
