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Can your solar project weather a hailstorm?

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Hail is becoming a bigger financial risk for insurers, and they’re not covering all the damage. As glass gets thinner and storms get worse, solar asset owners need to take notice. In this pv magazine Webinar, we will discuss the technological and meteorological trends that are leading to more frequent, severe and destructive hailstorms, as well as how projects are traditionally insured against hail-related damages.

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Can your solar project weather a hailstorm?

Hail is becoming a bigger financial risk for insurers, and they’re not covering all the damage. As glass gets thinner and storms get worse, solar asset owners need to take notice. Virtually all solar module manufacturers use glass for the top surface of the panel and they all pass the same damage tests, yet hail damages more and more solar modules every year. The problem is only set to get worse with the industry trending toward thinner glass and very severe hail above standard testing size becoming more common across the central U.S.

In this pv magazine Webinar, we will discuss the technological and meteorological trends that are leading to more frequent, severe and destructive hailstorms, as well as how projects are traditionally insured against hail-related damages. Presenters Paul Wormser, Sara Kane and John Sedgwick will cover the advancements made to create a product with this level of design and monitoring ease.

pv magazine Webinar content

  • Trends in the weather and the solar industry that are increasing damage from severe hailstorms, particularly across certain areas in Middle America.
  • An overview on how the IEC tests modules for their ability to withstand hail damage, and the limitations of these tests in addressing severe hail.
  • The extent to which insurance covers – or doesn’t cover – hail damage, and rising premiums in this area.
  • Factors for asset owners to weigh in deciding whether to invest in tilting trackers, heavier-duty modules, more insurance, or simply shoulder the increased risk.
  • Q&A.

Questions can be submitted beforehand or during the webinar through a chat window. Tim Sylvia from pv magazine USA will be the moderator of this webinar.

Registration for this pv magazine Webinar is free of charge.

Speakers

Paul Wormser, Vice President – Technology | Clean Energy Associates

Paul Wormser has 40+ years of solar industry experience with management roles in solar technology and business development for the world’s largest solar companies, including SunEdison, First Solar, Sharp, Konarka, Mobil Solar, and Exxon Solar. At SunEdison he served as Senior Director of Marketing for Solar Materials, managing the supply of modules and trackers for the company’s projects. As Vice President of Worldwide Applications for First Solar, he managed new platform development. He holds an MBA from the Northeastern University Graduate School of Business, and a BSME in Mechanical Engineering/Solar Energy from George Washington University.

Sara Kane Senior Vice President, Global Energy Practice | Beecher Carlson Insurance Services

With extensive experience in the renewable energy sector, Sara joined the Beecher Carlson Global Energy Practice in June of 2017. She serves as Senior Vice President on this highly specialized team focused on delivering innovative insurance and risk management solutions to the global energy sector. Having devoted a large portion of her career to the renewable energy sector, Sara came to Beecher Carlson from SunEdison where she was the Director of Risk Insurance. Prior to SunEdison, Sara spent nearly a decade working on the carrier side of the insurance industry, holding underwriting and product development positions at AXIS Capital, GCube Insurance Services, and AIG. Sara was named a 2017 Leading Risk Manager by Insurance Business.

John Sedgwick, President | VDE Americas

John Sedgwick co-founded VDE Americas in 2013, where he has served as President since. VDE Americas is a wholly owned subsidiary of VDE GmBH, Germany. John is a serial Silicon Valley entrepreneur with over 35 years of experience in establishing innovative technology companies and generating returns to investors. He has over 20 years of solar industry experience ranging from silicon manufacturing to finance/development of 100MW+ utility scale plants. John’s solar journey started in 2001 when he co-founded Solaicx, a monocrystalline wafer manufacture based in Santa Clara with operations in Portland, Oregon. John served as Executive Vice President of the company until it was sold to MEMC/SunEdison in 2010. At SunEdison, John was Director, Sales & Marketing until he left the company to start up VDE Americas.

Moderators

Tim Sylvia | Editor, pv magazine USA

Tim Sylvia is an associate editor at pv magazine USA. A graduate of Hood College, Tim has been with pv magazine since May 2018. Tim covers project development, legal issues and renewable energy legislation, as well as contributing to the daily Morning Brief.

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