My solar panels got wrecked by a hailstorm and insurance wouldn't cover it

I was at my house in Tulsa last July when a freak hailstorm came through. The panels took direct hits and 4 of them cracked right down the middle. I called my insurance and they told me my policy specifically excludes "acts of God" for renewable equipment. So now I'm out $2,800 and running on grid power again. Has anyone else dealt with solar gear not being covered like this?

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2 Comments

wren_walker624mo ago

That "acts of God" exclusion is brutal, but it's how a lot of these policies are written for solar. The thing is, "act of God" is such a vague term, it basically gives them an out for anything they don't want to pay for. You'd think a freak hailstorm in Oklahoma would be a regular risk they'd account for, but nope, they'd rather just not cover it. What really gets me is they'll happily cover your roof from the same storm but draw the line at the panels that are bolted to it. Might be worth checking if your state has a specific solar consumer protection law, I know some places are starting to push back on those clauses.

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nina_butler4mo ago

$2,800 is a chunk of change for sure but like... 4 cracked panels out of how many total? If it was a whole system going down id get it more. My neighbor had a tree branch take out his whole array in Dallas last spring and his policy covered it no questions asked. So maybe it depends on your specific insurer not some grand conspiracy. Also 2800 is like 6-7 months of grid power for me in Texas so youll probably break even in a year or two assuming your panels were generating that much extra. Sounds like your agent just sold you a bad policy honestly.

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