VDE Americas is the world's leading expert on solar project hail risk identification, quantification, and mitigation.

We offer innovative hail risk intelligence based on capabilities developed in collaboration with Central Michigan University's Applied Technology in Meteorology Lab. Our comprehensive suite of products and services caters to a wide range of stakeholders in the solar energy industry, including project developers, owners, operators, financiers, insurers, reinsurers, equipment suppliers, and manufacturers.

Our standard hail risk intelligence products and services include:

Probable Maximum Loss/Average Annual Loss (PML/AAL) Report

Our PML/AAL report provides a detailed engineering and radar-based analysis of hail risk for your specific project location, including potential property damage and business interruption impacts. It includes historical hail observations within a 50 km radius, return interval curves for naturally occurring hail (NOH), and both annual and diurnal hail event frequency data. The report offers NOH size estimates for fixed return intervals, such as 500 years, along with probable maximum loss (PML) and average annual loss (AAL) estimates, including P90 (downside) scenarios and associated revenue loss from operational downtime. We provide results for specified PV module types across various tilt angles (0°, 50°, 52°, 60°, 70°, and 75°), both facing into and away from the wind, giving you a comprehensive understanding of your project's physical and operational risk profile.

Co-Probability of Hail with Wind Report

Understanding the interaction between hail and wind is crucial for accurate risk assessment. Our Co-probability report examines the relationship between gust velocity and NOH size, providing return interval data for NOH size with various wind speed thresholds and regimes. We also include wind rose charts that illustrate the probability of wind speed and direction at 10m height during hail events, with a focus on wind speeds above 30 mph.

Pro-Forma Risk Exposure (PRE) Report

The PRE report offers a forward-looking view of your project's hail risk. Using advanced Monte Carlo simulations, we provide cumulative total hail loss estimates for client-specified hold periods, typically 10 and 40 years. This report includes average annual loss projections, as well as P50, P90, and P95 scenarios for various PV module specifications and tilt angles. We present sample outcome distributions along with detailed statistical analyses, including medians, standard deviations, and 95% confidence interval ranges.

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Pro-Forma Risk Exposure for Parametric Insurance Evaluation (PREP Addendum)

As an addendum to our PRE report, the PREP analysis evaluates the potential value of parametric insurance for your project. We express this value in terms of P50, P90, and P95 scenarios, as well as Average Annual Loss (AAL) estimates for hail-related losses. This addendum helps you make informed decisions about insurance strategies to mitigate your project's hail risk.

Portfolio-Level Hail Risk Assessment

For clients with multiple solar assets, our portfolio-level assessment provides a comprehensive view of hail risk across your entire solar portfolio. This assessment includes a detailed PRE Monte Carlo analysis, offering probability distributions of loss estimates for various hold periods. We provide mean and median portfolio AAL estimates, along with a range of loss percentiles (10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 90%, 95%). The analysis covers multiple tilt angles and wind directions, giving you a nuanced understanding of your portfolio's overall risk exposure.

ArcGIS-Based Hail Risk Atlas

We offer multiple ArcGIS-based map sets for visualizing hail risk across the Continental United States (CONUS). Our hail return intervals (RI) maps for naturally occurring hail (NOH) provide eight contour maps showing RI for NOH bins from ≥25 mm to ≥95 mm in 10-mm increments, as well as maps showing approximate maximum diameter hailstone sizes for 40- and 100-year return intervals. Our solar project financial risk exposure maps provide PML and AAL estimates for a 100 MWdc project for various module technologies across various tracker angles, facing into or out of the wind. These maps are delivered online via ESRI's ArcGIS Online platform, providing an intuitive, visual representation of hail risk across different regions.

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Hail Monitoring and Tracker Stow Protocol Review

We offer comprehensive reviews of hail monitoring and tracker stow protocols at any stage of project development, from conceptual planning through operational phases. Our review includes a gap analysis and recommended improvements based on industry best practices, including those outlined in the "Best Practices for Hail Stow of Single-Axis Tracker-Mounted Solar Projects" tech memo, jointly published by VDE Americas and Wells Fargo in February 2024. For operational systems, we also conduct functional testing to ensure your protocols are effective in real-world scenarios.

Hail Monitoring and Tracker Stow Protocol Specification

Building on our review service, we also offer detailed protocol specifications for hail monitoring and tracker stow procedures. These specifications are designed for use in project operations and can be included as exhibits in requests for proposals and project agreements. Our specifications cover all aspects of hail risk mitigation, including monitoring, stow procedures, testing protocols, and forensic plans in case of hail events.

Hail Event Forensic Investigation

In the event of a hail-related loss, our forensic investigation service provides a comprehensive analysis of the incident. We review the construction status, analyze weather data, and conduct a thorough damage assessment. Our investigations include spatial damage analysis based on available data and comparisons to similar hail loss events. We conclude with tailored mitigation strategies and recommendations to prevent future losses.

Hail and Wind Primer

Our Hail and Hail-Wind Primer offers a detailed analysis of hail and wind meteorological risk, using an extreme risk location in Pecos County, Texas as a case study. This educational resource covers hail diurnal and annual cycles, hail and wind dynamics, hail return intervals, and the interaction between hail and wind. It's particularly useful for equipment suppliers and buyers seeking to understand the complexities of hail risk in high-risk locations.

PV Module Damage Primer

The PV Module Damage Primer provides an in-depth look at how hail impacts solar panels. Using a sample utility-scale solar project in Pecos County, Texas, this primer explains the mechanics of hail damage to PV modules, compares naturally occurring hail (NOH) with freezer ice balls (FIB) used in testing, and explores the impact of wind on hail damage. It also covers strategies for mitigating hail damage through tracker stowing and includes information on VDE loss modeling techniques.

Our science and engineering-based approach to hail risk assessment provides valuable insights for insurance pricing, project design, and operational planning. Whether you're a project developer seeking to optimize your site layout, an insurer looking to accurately price hail risk, or an equipment manufacturer aiming to improve product resilience, our suite of hail risk advisory products and services offers the detailed, location-specific information you need to make informed decisions.

For more information on our hail risk advisory products and services, or to discuss how we can tailor our offerings to your specific needs, please contact us.