- Extreme weather is emerging as a material operational and financial risk for utility scale PV projects.
- Proper site selection design and maintenance can significantly improve resilience and long term performance.
- Data driven operations and proactive maintenance are critical to managing climate related impacts
The International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme has released a new Task 13 report analysing the operational and economic impacts of extreme weather on photovoltaic power plants. The findings come as global solar capacity expands rapidly and climate driven weather events become more frequent and severe, including across many African markets.
The report provides a detailed overview of extreme weather events most relevant to PV systems. These include tropical cyclones, convective storms and hail, snowfalls, dust and sandstorms, heatwaves, floods and wildfires. It evaluates both catastrophic damage such as destroyed modules or mounting structures and sub catastrophic damage that may not be immediately visible but can accelerate performance degradation over time.
According to the report, most PV plants can withstand the majority of extreme weather events if they are appropriately sited, designed and maintained. It distinguishes between short term sporadic events such as cyclones and hailstorms and longer term repetitive stressors such as heat, dust and wildfires. From an impact perspective, damage to PV systems can be acute or chronic, requiring different approaches to risk management.
For short term high impact events, comprehensive risk assessment is the critical first step. For longer term stresses, design optimisation becomes the priority. In both cases, robust site planning is essential. The report stresses the importance of analysing historical weather data and modelling the probability of future extreme events during the design phase. Based on this assessment, developers and asset owners should make informed decisions on system design and procurement.
All materials and structural components should comply with relevant codes and standards, while module architecture plays a role in resilience, particularly for hail prone regions. Independent engineering reviews of racking and tracking systems are strongly encouraged. Attention to terrain and geological conditions is also vital, especially for projects on sloped land where foundations must mitigate the risk of landslides caused by heavy rainfall or flooding.
The report further emphasises the importance of data management throughout the asset life cycle. Site owners and operators should retain commissioning documents and baseline energy production data to enable future performance comparisons. Electroluminescence and infrared images, visual inspection records and current voltage measurements should also be preserved.
Electrical performance data combined with local weather data such as temperature, irradiation and wind speed enable time series analysis to identify weather related damage and accelerated degradation. The report calls for greater awareness among owners and maintenance teams on the value of systematic data collection and long term record keeping.
Strong operation and maintenance practices are highlighted as essential to system resilience. Defects that remain unresolved after storm exposure can worsen when subjected to ongoing environmental stress. Continuous monitoring of restored systems is therefore critical, allowing owners to respond quickly if power output declines and to make informed decisions on refurbishment or component replacement.
Proactive maintenance should be aligned with local risk profiles. Ahead of extreme events such as tropical cyclones, preventative measures including checking fastener tightness and removing loose debris should be carried out. If damage does occur, corrective maintenance must be implemented without delay. Immediate actions include disconnecting the system from the grid, ensuring site safety and conducting thorough electrical and mechanical inspections. Damaged components should remain in place for insurance assessments but must be replaced before re energisation.
By consolidating international experience and best practice, the Task 13 report provides valuable guidance for PV developers, owners and operators seeking to improve the resilience and long term reliability of solar power plants under increasingly challenging climatic conditions.
Download the full report HERE
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
