Is our solar ready for climate extremes?

Islamabad’s weather turned wild in just a few minutes. One moment, it was a normal afternoon; the next, huge hailstones started crashing down, smashing car windshields, breaking windows and, most worrying of all, destroying solar panels all over the city.

People watched in shock as their solar rooftops, symbols of the city’s green progress, were left covered in broken glass and twisted metal. This storm wasn’t just a surprise; it was a wake-up call for everyone living here.

Over the last ten years, Islamabad has become a model for clean energy in Pakistan. Solar panels have popped up on homes, businesses and commercial buildings. Many of us have felt proud seeing our city shine with new technology and hope for a cleaner future. But now, after this sudden hailstorm, we’re left wondering: are these solar panels strong enough to survive the kind of extreme weather that climate change is bringing more often? The damage is everywhere – panels shattered, frames bent and power knocked out in many neighbourhoods.

It’s not just about the cost of repairs or the mess to clean up. This storm has shown us that our plans for a greener future have weak spots we can’t ignore. Most solar panels are built to handle normal rain and sun, and maybe some small hail. But the recent storm was on another level, with hailstones as big as golf balls – much bigger than what most panels are tested for. As weather like this becomes more common, we need to ask ourselves how safe our future is if our clean energy systems can’t handle these storms. Islamabad’s experience is a warning for all of us to rethink how we protect our green investments.

The hailstorm hit Islamabad’s solar panels hard and caused a lot of damage. Across key sectors – including G-6, G-9, F-10, E-11 and G-11 – rooftop solar panels and solar carports, particularly those supporting electric vehicle charging stations, were broken or ripped off where they were attached. The hailstorm was so strong that it twisted and bent the metal frames holding up the solar panels, making many solar setups stop working completely. Because of this, homes and businesses that depended on solar power lost electricity for a long time, which made the situation even harder after the storm.

Preliminary estimates place financial damage in the tens of millions of rupees since repairs are needed not just for the panels but also for the frames and other parts that hold them up. With so many solar panels out of action, several neighbourhoods are now facing long power cuts, showing just how easily the city’s green energy system can be disrupted.

The storm dealt a severe economic blow to households that had invested in rooftop solar systems, highlighting two key vulnerabilities. First, the financial loss has been staggering. Many families who installed solar panels as a long-term investment for energy savings and sustainability are now facing unexpected repair and replacement costs running into hundreds of thousands of rupees per household. For middle-income families, in particular, this damage is not just a technical disruption but a direct hit to their savings and financial planning. Insurance coverage for such climate-induced damage is often limited or non-existent, compounding the burden.

Second, the storm ended up highlighting the growing unpredictability of climate change and its direct impact on household-level economic and energy security. What was once seen as a stable and self-reliant source of clean electricity became non-functional within minutes, leaving households in the dark – literally and figuratively.

This incident raises urgent questions: Are household-level solar systems, as currently designed, resilient enough for the extreme weather Pakistan is beginning to experience? Islamabad’s experience is a stark reminder that without climate-resilient infrastructure, even the most well-intentioned clean energy transitions may falter when nature strikes back.

Most solar panels use tempered glass designed to resist moderate hail, but industry standards like UL 61730 typically test for hailstones only up to 25 mm – far smaller than the golf-ball-sized hail that battered Islamabad. In recent years, manufacturers have prioritised cost-cutting by producing larger panels with thinner glass, which has made them more fragile. Even when panels appear intact after a storm, micro-cracks caused by hailstones larger than three centimetres can silently degrade performance, reducing energy output and shortening the system’s lifespan. The debate around the cost and benefit analysis of having more weather-resilient panels or more efficient panels is now more important.

The vulnerability of rooftop solar panels to hail damage is not just a matter of material strength but also design and planning. Low-angle, fixed installations – common on flat roofs in Pakistan – take the full brunt of hail impacts, whereas steeper or adjustable mounts can deflect hailstones more effectively. Despite this, resilient designs are often overlooked due to higher costs. Panels facing the direction of prevailing storms are especially at risk, making site-specific orientation and weather-informed placement essential.

Unfortunately, many systems in Pakistan lack basic protective features like reinforced frames or impact-absorbing shields. In the absence of mandatory resilience standards, cost-cutting prevails over durability. This has left thousands of households exposed to the very climate risks solar power is supposed to mitigate.

International cases show a clear path forward. During the March 2024 Fort Bend hailstorm in Texas, several solar farms withstood more than 500-year hail events by deploying automated ‘hail-stow’ systems that adjusted panel tilt to deflect damage. These systems demonstrate the value of operational readiness, not just hardware strength.

Technological advancements are rapidly improving panel resilience. AIKO’s panels with reinforced 3.2mm glass and impact-resistant polymers withstand hailstones up to 40mm. Methacrylate-based solar skins in Europe absorb impacts without compromising efficiency. Panels certified under UL 61730 and IP68 standards are tested for hailstones up to three inches at 88 mph. Smart solutions like Trina Solar’s AI-driven hail-stow systems offer dynamic protection without significant power loss, unlike fixed covers that block sunlight when deployed.

Globally, regulators are tightening standards and offering incentives for climate-resilient solar infrastructure. Pakistan must do the same. Adopting proven international standards, mandating climate-tested technologies and raising public awareness are essential steps. Without proactive planning and regulation, the country risks turning a clean energy promise into a liability in the face of accelerating climate extremes.

The recent hailstorm in Islamabad has laid bare a critical vulnerability in our green energy transition: the lack of robust standards and preparedness in rooftop solar infrastructure. To safeguard household investments and ensure long-term energy resilience, Pakistan must urgently introduce and enforce stringent insurance of panels and certification protocols for solar panels, mandating minimum impact-resistance thresholds that align with the realities of a changing climate. Public awareness campaigns should educate consumers on the importance of durable materials, panel orientation, and adaptive protection systems, empowering households to make informed choices.

Equally important is the proactive role of regulatory bodies – such as PPIB, Nepra and the Ministry of Industrial Production – in not only enforcing quality standards and resilient installation guidelines, but also facilitating the adoption of advanced technologies like AI-enabled stow systems and reinforced coatings. Without a coordinated push for quality assurance, awareness and regulatory oversight, the promise of rooftop solar risks being undermined by the very climate it aims to combat.

The writer is a gender and climate specialist at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad. She can be reached at: Sadiasatti@sdpi.org