Mitigating the impacts of extreme weather on solar farms

How Lightsource bp is building solar farms that can withstand extreme weather

The frequency and severity of extreme weather conditions is increasing around the world. To minimize risk for projects, investors and insurers, Lightsource bp has developed and launched a comprehensive hail mitigation program for its projects in the United States.    

Solar trackers, commonly found on solar farms worldwide, slowly tilt photovoltaic (PV) solar panels east-to-west to follow the sun each day as it moves across the sky, significantly increasing a solar panel’s exposure to direct sunlight and therefore, PV power generation. Lightsource bp uses this same functionality to rapidly redeploy the trackers to a higher tilt angle to deflect hail and mitigate damage.  

Lightsource bp has paired this tracker technology with real-time weather insights and proactive alerts to ensure solar panels enter full mitigation mode before a hail strike. Working with a third-party weather service provider, we are implementing algorithms that provide hail warnings up to 30 minutes in advance of public National Weather Service alerts, which will ultimately enable us to fully automate the mitigation process end-to-end. 

Learn more:

•  Keeping an eye on the horizon: Updates on Lightsource bp’s comprehensive hail mitigation program 
• PVTECH article (2021): THROUGH GALES AND HAIL: Best preparations for solar under extreme weather