Texas residents have contamination concerns after solar panel's damaged

[@ruds2600]

This isn't the 1st one destroyed by hail, and it won't be the last.

[@jpdemer5]

Yep - until somebody invents a plastic that lets through the high-energy UV light, we're stuck with glass windows - and even tempered glass has its limits. Maybe "Gorilla Glass" will become cheap enough, in time, to be used on PV panels.

[@kirara4953]

No glass is surviving hail ​@@jpdemer5

[@tripplefives1402]

​​@@jpdemer5glass blocks uv. Solar works with infrared, not uv. Glass is more transparent. Plastic blocks 30% of light while glass only blocks 10%

[@jpdemer5]

@@tripplefives1402 I'm a chemist, and I know where the energy is: in the short wavelengths. Make power from IR and you get a Nobel Prize.

[@Bigrignohio]

@@tripplefives1402 Solar THERMAL (water) can use the IR. Not solar ELECTRIC. In fact heating the panels DECREASES efficiency.

[@GolDGreg]

The apostrophe on “panel’s” irks me

[@tohopes]

its a sign of the time's.

[@taylormoore5098]

It bug's me, to.

[@TremendousSax]

​@taylormoore5098 well played 😂

[@IceLynne]

#MeToo

[@colliswilliams8992]

They got their degree's in journalism, not English.

[@kevinmiller5467]

If they did environmental impact studies why would they not simply send a copy when asked for them?

[@nova396]

Because they knew this would be an issue on votes to allow it.

[@arthurfoyt6727]

They are "saving the planet" so they don't fill one out...

[@aaronbazan702]

Cause they didn't. Hello😆

[@jpdemer5]

Only government projects require an EIS. Was this a government project, or built on gov't lands?

[@cobhc1227]

Silicon and silver

[@MarkTurner-vs7uc]

Stupidity is running wild these days. Along with cowardice.

[@FunnyTCDTCDFunny]

So someone didn't think this through and now it will cost more to just replace them and clean the dirt ! Was it worth it ? Nope !

[@leehyde6610]

Typical "Man plans , God laughs

[@PecanRanch]

Because coal is safer !! Yea right

[@thedude5040]

Actually it probably was worth to costs.

[@dbadagna]

4,000 acres is a lot of acres. Even 1 acre is big--a football field's worth of land.

[@thedude5040]

@@dbadagna my family has that much land

[@wb6568]

I was told by a worker who installs these panels on solar farms in my state of Virginia that the life span for a solar farm is approximately 30 years, unless something like this is thrown at it and in an instant a mult-million dollar boondoggle is up in smoke.

[@Bigrignohio]

30 years is plenty for solar. By that point it is money in the bank to switch to newer, higher-efficiency, panels. Standard panel on a project I am involved in went from 360w/ea to 430w/ea in 5 years.

[@Challeen]

Insurance doesn’t cover hail storms?? Who knew?

[@fauxque5057]

Depending on the break a shattered panel will still produce power. I have 3 shattered panels that are still producing. But they also don't have holes blown through them either. Two were shattered during shipping. And the lawn mower threw something at the 3rd one.

[@sarahbrown5073]

​@@fauxque5057if the glass is broken, rain will cause the cadmium to leach into your ground. Good luck with your cancer treatment.

[@calvinlotz7595]

​@@fauxque5057 Yep. I installed for years. They're not nearly as fragile as you might think. We get plenty of hail in colorado and they generally take all of it. The cars on the other hand... 😬

[@who2u333]

So, the implied perspective from these concerned citizens, who are saying "I told you so" without the words, is that solar is more toxic than oil and gas and therefore this project, from an environmental standpoint at least, was a boondoggle.

[@PerspectiveEngineer]

My sisters friend cousin told me the exact same thing. She is going to drop out Because high school is A waste of her tim.

[@2hotscottpro]

Dum

[@litestreamer]

I told you so.

[@_MrLee]

"Boondoggle"

[@ared18t]

@@PerspectiveEngineer Don't let her drop out have her do home studies it will give her way more time and she can use that extra time to focus on the things she wants to.

[@lfw641]

The solution will be to raise your taxes to conduct a study that will find taxes need to be raised to install a hail proof barrier over all solar panels.

[@cleardrop4531]

You can’t choke on the smog from a barrier. Here’s a though, numbskulls… invest in a high powered, smaller, more focused panel that can be protected instead of a massive fields. We have hail here where our solar fields are and never cracked never oroblems

[@KB-ke3fi]

@@cleardrop4531 Yeah sure ok man.

[@tired7140]

Maybe install them inside warehouses so they wont get damaged. That is just as smart as putting them where hail is as big as golf balls.

[@boomerdragon1568]

That blocks the sun 🤪

[@Joseph-en7gx]

@@cleardrop4531another great fairy idea, that won’t work. Solar is a scam

[@ebikes2xs159]

I'm not sure if there is a scientific reason tempered glass isn't used on solar panels. I ran a glass business for 15 years. I challenged lots of people to break a piece of 1/4 inch thick tempered glass with a hammer and they couldn't do it. Its surface strength is incredible and I'm sure people have seen cops trying to break out a car window with no success., that's about 3/16 of an inch thick. The Achilles heel of temp glass is on its edge, just a tap is all it takes to shatter it into hundreds of pieces. That can be protected.

[@brendanro]

Glass blocks some UV wavelengths from passing through, so this would probably lead to less energy converted.

[@antronx7]

It is 3.5mm tempered glass. Aint gonna stop baseball sized hail at terminal velosity.

[@jameswilsin5348]

My solar panels are tempered and have been threw hail storms and ant damaged

[@Andy-df5fj]

Some of the panels survived fine. Those may have been tempered glass.

[@tripplefives1402]

They are tempered glass. Super thin because glass absorbs some of the light. Thicker glass reduces output.

[@darrellsaunders4267]

Johnny Kerry and Albert Gore should clean it up

[@sandblast5636]

Super comment 1000 % correct

[@brian1204]

Stupidest comment ever

[@martacrowl]

@@sandblast5636 It must be difficult for you, being such a moron. I'm so sorry...

[@donnastokes-manning6175]

Using their OWN money.

[@MarkMaxwell-author]

Hysterical how folks that love toxic oil and gas production are worried about the big bad ol' solar panels.. seems like they're more worried about their pocket books than the environment.

[@TC-py3oo]

Thirty percent of the state of Rhode Island has been deforested for toxic panels and states EPA refuse to test the groundwater? Why

[@jpdemer5]

Because the panels aren't toxic, and there's no issue with the groundwater. Find something else to worry about.

[@annabanan5518]

@@jpdemer5 Nah. You're just ignorant. Solar panels have a 25-30yr life and already winding up in landfills, where they contaminate groundwater with toxic heavy metals such as lead, selenium and cadmium. Just because you don't know something doesn't mean it's a fairytale.

[@Repost-Malone]

@@jpdemer5not true. Broken panels can leach toxic chemicals into the ground from rain run off.

[@davidb.5544]

@@Repost-Malone What chemicals precisely?

[@Repost-Malone]

@@davidb.5544 Solar panels contain toxic materials like lead, cadmium telluride, copper indium selenide, cadmium gallium (di)selenide, copper indium gallium (di)selenide, hexafluoroethane, lead, and polyvinyl fluoride that can leach out as they break down, creating new environmental hazards.

[@salvadorvega9834]

surely the pesticides and road runoff have never ever been issue here

[@aryaastark9201]

The unplugged oil wells either.

[@richardcranium3579]

Mother Nature is the biggest oil leaker exponentially. She surpasses man through oil seeps

[@TacoTuesday4]

Solar is the dumbest form of energy generation. If you care about the environment then nuclear is the only option currently.

[@rhuntington3]

Well, they should have rain detectors that should have moved hail shields into place to protect the delicate power generators. Some green deal this has turned out to be. Green leaving the bank accounts of so many.

[@45hotro]

Or cows with lasers mounted on their heads.

[@EricZuber-z6l]

In places like Texas where hail is common, a simple single axis tracker that moves them to a vertical position when hail is present is all that is needed. It would also add to production on a daily basis.

[@tired7140]

If they did that and covered the panels NO POWER at all. Genius just genius.

[@USAtheist-lnfidel]

Hello, idgit. You know that this wasn't your ordinary hail storm, right?

[@wildcoyote34]

@@USAtheist-lnfidel yea it was a nasty hail storm ,, I've had my panels at my farm hit with large golf ball size hail more than once , and by baseball size hail a couple times without a broken panel

[@johnsozio9154]

The chemicals they are concerned about will not leach out of the panels. They worst part for the environment is when they are manufactured.

[@Gfysimpletons]

Yeah. I see you've failed at everything😜

[@tetrabromobisphenol]

Well, aside from the lead and tin in the solder, it will slowly leach out.

[@antcowan]

No it does not there is no risk at all. ​@@tetrabromobisphenol

[@woopsserg]

@@tetrabromobisphenol Lead in not used in solder these days with rare exceptions. Tin is barely toxic and won't leak out with such sort of damage anyway.

[@sarahbrown5073]

Cadmium telluride

[@bingo7799]

Meanwhile our utility closets are full of cancer causing chemicals and we aren't worried.

[@Atmatan]

That explains a lot.

[@KB-ke3fi]

Yeah and they used to be far away out in large fields until west coast developers paid a bunch of cheap bucks to build houses next to them.

[@randalthor6872]

and they are literally dumping a toxic metal byproduct from aluminum smelting into our municipal water supplies......"for our teeth"!! (Fluoride)

[@victorhopper6774]

@@Atmatan gas is a cancer causing agent

[@AnyM4jorDude]

Where's the EPA in all this?

[@RilfDanielson]

Installing more solar panels lol

[@richarda996]

Adding more stupid laws when that is the function of Congress.

[@lightclawshadowmarsch8167]

But there supposed to save the environment

[@PerspectiveEngineer]

Yep, but texis has a learning curve... cause they don't even know the names of the chemicals they're scared of, I do. It's called lead and mercury

[@moonyongkim8330]

@@PerspectiveEngineer I don't think it contains lead. look at environmental production declaration document of companies' product. lead, i guess it's not absolute 0 but the level we are looking at is extremely low to be concern.

[@MOE-db8oc]

@@moonyongkim8330 Since everyone is sooooo into reducing the carbon footprint of stuff, how much more carbon will be emitted to replace these panels this year, next year, the year after that, the year after that……you get it after each hail storm blows through? This won’t be the only time this happens.

[@JohnSmith-gq9gn]

@@PerspectiveEngineer Cadmium, lead and polyvinyl fluoride . And it's Texas. Talk about a learning curve.

[@JohnSmith-gq9gn]

@@moonyongkim8330 Cadmium, lead and polyvinyl fluoride are leaking from the panels and the land will be unusable for over 100 years.

[@Misophist]

The cells behind the glass are usually 99.9 % silicon, sputtered with some rare metals, and tattooed with a thin layer of a conductor like aluminum or copper. This is all solid, no fluids, and nothing, that can be easily washed out by water. Even if, it would be much less, then what gets washed off your car and farm equipment when driving or left outside in the rain, or from the lead used around the edge of your chimney and the stained-glass windows of your church. The glass is just there, to protect it from dust, because trying to remove the dust from the cells directly with a brush would damage the conductors. Washing the dust from the glass is way easier. So, other than the damage caused by the hail, there is literally _nothing_ to be concerned about. Get an education, man!

[@jdmb03]

Some panels are made with lead and cadmium, not human body friendly.

[@Misophist]

@@jdmb03 You are talking either about cadmium telluride thin film cells, In which the cadmium is enclosed in a layer of SnO2 or SnF, or about perovskite cells, which are so brittle, that they are enclosed in film for that reason. Both need some attention, when deposited at the end of life, but risks emanating from a puncture are very low. The more, because the films are usually not directly exposed, and the amount of material is minuscule. We are talking of layers way thinner than a millimeter.

[@sarahbrown5073]

​@@Misophistbut if these broken panels remain in place, over time, it will leach. Prompt removal and adequate disposal is the key...are they doing that?

[@Misophist]

@@sarahbrown5073 Don't know whether they did that. Again, the amounts _in_ the cells is already very low, we are talking about 0,5 - 2 g/m², which are making up about 0,17 µm (that is 17 divided by 100 Million!) of the thickness of the cell, not kilos or tonnes. This sputtered on a fixed substrate like silicon, glass or organic foil, which already means, they can't be easily washed seeping in alone. This is then coated and wrapped again behind glass or translucent plastic, meant to protect the cells against mechanical damage by the elements - not because the content might be poisonous, but because the damage would ruin the function. If the cell gets damaged by hail, and because of that loses function, that doesn't mean that it is now fully exposed to the elements, and water flooding in will wash away lead and cadmium, even if there might or might be cracks and holes. Given that, if there is a measurable impact at all - which i doubt - it would be in the range of micrograms, unless you purposely disassemble the cell removing each and every protective layer, and start sanding the cells down. That might actually be what is happening, if you are passing on the cells for recycling. Your car is likely emitting more of the stuff, when you take it to town, and nobody is mopping up after you and disposing it. Lead in last century plumbing making its way into your coffee, or smoking (there are heavy metals in tobacco too, some even radioactive) is likely a much graver danger than those PV cells sitting around. And this would be true even if you decided to plant strawberries beneath and eat them.

[@sarahbrown5073]

@@Misophist How can you know that? We're talking about thousands of broken panels. How long they sit will also be a factor. These are not silicone panels. These are cadmium telluride panels. They can not be recycled. They can not go into a landfill.

[@smashtoshismackamoto4746]

The better question is what was the difference between the panels that were destroyed vs the ones that seemed to have survived.

[@safeandeffectivelol]

We need to clearcut a few million more acres of forests to become green

[@MrHarryhere69]

I hope you where joking. Trees and green plants clean up the atmosphere.

[@skiptheroad]

Chinese company, Gotion, is clearing hundreds of acres of forest for their new battery plant near Big Rapids. MI. Many of the local citizens are not happy about it. Our liberal govenor brokered the deal.

[@kevenclinton4970]

Same thing happened when sea birds dropped clam shells on my panels.

[@JimFeig]

They should have known to use panels that can resist hail. There are no chemicals that come out, this isn't oil lol.

[@petedog9581]

TX has no regs.

[@sarahbrown5073]

Cadmium telluride, yes it will leach into the ground from broken panels if they are not removed promptly.

[@sarahbrown5073]

​@@petedog9581solar farms have no regs.

[@JimFeig]

@@sarahbrown5073 Very unlikely and not actually harmful. It's a staple crystal and tested for that exact concern

[@sarahbrown5073]

@@JimFeig Cadmium telluride is not harmful? Who told you that lie? A company that sells the panels? The industry is completely unregulated. Each site is under it's own llc. They file chapter 7, leave the locals to deal with the fallout.

[@ts-900]

POLLUTION is what being GREEN is all about. EVs pollute the environment around 1800 times more than conventional cars.

[@moonyongkim8330]

1800 times sound random. out of 11 known environmental factor, which one is it? reference would help. just stand next to diesel car vs ev car and see which one makes u feel more sick

[@ts-900]

@@moonyongkim8330 If it's anything over 1, it's BAD. The number was between 1800 and 1900, I can't remember what it was. But how hard is it to figure out how super polluting these things are?

[@pHD77]

Production of EVs gives off a lot more CO2 than production of an ICE vehicle. That part is true. However, as the EV gets on the road and starts putting them kilometers on the odometer, the EV gradually becomes the cleaner choice. And that's even with power coming from fossilbased power plants.

[@ts-900]

@@pHD77Electric vehicles (EVs) are never cleaner, and they are certainly not cleaner (as a whole) than natural gas, for instance. The production of vehicles and their systems incurs unacceptable environmental and pollution costs. The disposal of electric vehicle (EV) systems presents significant and completely unnecessary challenges.

[@natebaird]

Wait until they hear about crude oil drilling or tail pipe emissions. When do those features come out?

[@anthonymcintosh4243]

Not an environmentalist in sight, naturally.

[@kathyrogers2065]

Now TX has to buy more solar panels to recontaimate its land again.

[@tired7140]

Plus contaminate the ground wherever they burry them to hide the broken panels. Oh boy cancer for everybody in future generations.

[@USAtheist-lnfidel]

Um... I'm sure it was contaminated before. You know, from the oil spills and whatnot.

[@garyries2036]

Here's an idea. Have a crew wearing protection pick up all those panels and store them inside away from the elements. Then decide how to properly dispose of them.

[@MaN-pw1bn]

I wish they'd talk about these things before they start selling.

[@JJHiller83]

They knew.

[@1001Hobbies]

Can you imagine if a public utility said "Sorry, our natural gas/coal/hydropower/nuclear power producing plant was destroyed.....by hail?" That's incredibly vulnerable, isn't it??

[@IceLynne]

Yes and that's by design.

[@USAtheist-lnfidel]

Meanwhile, Texas power grid is mostly based on fossil fuels, but it seems to go down whenever the weather is too cold. Or too hot. Or just whenever.

[@petedog9581]

This has to be bad sarcasm. TX was destroyed by one 3 day ice storm a couple of years ago. That is the result of no state taxes, little regulation, and privatizing all your utilities and contractors. They will have a ready palm waiting for FEMA after the next hurricane. Moochers.

[@noconsentgiven]

Why didn't they require some type of soil or runoff protection?

[@Google123ABC]

Complaining about some solar panels but not saying anything about the numerous refineries/chemical plants within a 60 mile radius? The Texas Gulf Coast area is called cancer alley for a reason. Or how’s about the cruise ships that dump human waste near the shores of Galveston??

[@nova396]

Are you dense??? Whataboutism. Cancer is cancer! Feeling good about solar doesn't change facts. Sit down.

[@RilfDanielson]

Maybe they don't say anything in this story because this story is about these people and their town which only have solar panels? Completely unrelated. Oil chemicals are a problem too, but you can't dismiss this story with whataboutism.

[@Atwater20]

Since when does Texas care about the environment?

[@IceLynne]

Your brain must be very smooth.

[@Exxeron-ob3tv]

Some of the earliest conservation effort groups began there. You can get a more detailed answer by learning to use a computer that has a keyboard. That will allow you to use search engines on that topic (or any topic you want, really) with little effort. It does mean effort though... so, might not be what you are looking for.

[@girlonlaptop]

Wouldn't the first thing to do be go and clean up the mess immediately?

[@kakea8403]

That's entirely too easy!

[@matt45540]

There's not much of a mess, it's broken glass. I'd imagine 99% of the glass is still sitting there on the panel. Glass is entirely made of sand, and I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure the silica based solar panels don't have anything to leak out of them

[@DrooskatiGames]

There is no mess. There are no "chemicals leaking". All this video does is prove that people in Texas are INCREDIBLY illiterate when it comes to science.

[@YukFou1]

What mess?

[@sarahbrown5073]

​@@matt45540the big farms usually use the cheaper cadmium telluride panels. It won't leach out right away, but if the panels sit there and get rained on for months it will.

[@f1at111]

They had it right 60 years ago when they built Atomic Energy Plants. The path to hell is truly paved with good intentions and other people's money.

[@jpdemer5]

These bozos know nothing about "chemicals" in solar panels. But put a dozen oil pumpjacks there instead, and they'd be all "USA! USA!"

[@PaulJones-wr1im]

I was just about to say that😂

[@bite-sizedshorts9635]

You're wrong. "According to cancer biologist David H. Nguyen, PhD, toxic chemicals in solar panels include cadmium telluride, copper indium selenide, cadmium gallium (di)selenide, copper indium gallium (di)selenide, hexafluoroethane, lead, and polyvinyl fluoride. Silicon tetrachloride, a byproduct of producing crystalline silicon, is also highly toxic."

[@jpdemer5]

@@bite-sizedshorts9635 All of them immobilized in solid silicon, none of them water-soluble, all wrapped up in a flexible polymer sheath. Cracking the tempered glass window with hail isn't going to release anything - they'll replace the glass and carry on.

[@ebikervermont1576]

I been Telling my Town Leaders this for Years that we the people don't want these Solar panels in our Community and they Still done Mass Installs of Solar Panels All over and Around and Right IN our communities but they The Leaders of My Town didn't put Any Solar Panels anywhere Near there Homes and Families but they put them Right on Top of our Homes and Families and Most of us are on Well Water.

[@sarahbrown5073]

It's horrible. Do they understand these llc companies can just file bankruptcy and dissappear at any time?

[@jessstuart7495]

Some details on the "contaminates" would be nice. Are the citizens justified in their concern, or just being paranoid?

[@USAtheist-lnfidel]

Justified in their concern? Maybe. Honest about their motives? Hell, no.

[@cynthiagonzalez658]

I've always thought about this. Those solar panels look very fragile.

[@USAtheist-lnfidel]

But they ain't.

[@cynthiagonzalez658]

@@USAtheist-lnfidel The purpose of the video is to show the results when the panels break. Didn't you bother to watch ⁉️

[@USAtheist-lnfidel]

I've had plenty of hail hit my solar panels with no damage. It wasn't some tiny little hail that had to hit them. I watched the video and recognized it for the blatant propaganda that it is. Didn't you?

[@cynthiagonzalez658]

@@USAtheist-lnfidel It's time for you to go to sleep 😴

[@sarahbrown5073]

Most of them aren't. Some of the cheaper ones are...those are the ones most likely to contain the toxic cadmium, too.

[@bardmadsen6956]

I used to be in solar thermal big time back in the '90s and no one would allow me a safe site to do testing. The senator got $12 million to promote solar, wouldn't give me a dime, also Pound Sandia (DOE) turned down (three times) a grant because the invention had to have multiple redundancies "or it would burn itself to the ground if one system failed", the only place they would allow testing was the nuke test site and they wanted $38,000 for an environmental impact study for ONE hole in the ground, make sure the glowing desert tortoise didn't get its habitat or life ended from the excavation of the hole.

[@juanavila3566]

Solar panel’s maker didn’t think about hail proof glass on top??? A obviously would be more expensive but at the end it is cheaper then chemical contamination on the ground

[@richarda996]

Don’t forget about recycling.

[@freebir73]

ANY FOOL COULD HAVE KNOWN THAT. 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@talapeanutbutter4250]

We have some in Florida too. They should be required to put down some type of barrier to prevent and collect future leaks. There’s so much plastic that could be recycled and put to great use since it’ll be around after we’re not!

[@colin-yj2rl]

They are lying to you. Solar panels, especially silicon based panels like these, have basically zero hazardous chemicals in them. They are glass (sand) and silicon cells (also sand) with tiny amounts of aluminum, silver, and some polymers that make up things like the key board you typed this comment on. Of course, these panels are in TX, home of the oil and chemical industries, which actually do pose the risks and have track records of the spills that you're afraid of.

[@henryvanderbeek2973]

If the whole 'green' movement could be summed up in one picture, this would be it....

[@grumpy3543]

Why the undamaged panels right in the middle of the smashed ones? How did that happen?

[@jaym9846]

I don't give a hoot about re-newable energy or national debt as long as I drive my freak'n monster truck until the day I die.

[@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity]

Why don’t you look into how many chemicals leach into your soil and pollute your air from your big, noisy, 4wd, lifted, diesel-powered trucks running all over the country?

[@boatburnerice7925]

or the oil and coal used to make the panels...and solar panels are not recyclable.

[@krestinereed2227]

Hazardous waste testing on solar panels in the marketplace has indicated that different varieties of solar panels have different metals present in the semiconductor and solder. Some of these metals, like lead and cadmium, are harmful to human health and the environment at high levels.

[@IceLynne]

😂 😂

[@RilfDanielson]

Ok! Looked into it...Far less than a broken solar panel!

[@davefroman4700]

Insurance covers it, Panels are recyclable now. There is no risk of contamination because there is nothing water soluble. The cost of panels has continually declined 18% a year for the past decade. Depending on the age of the installation? It will likely cost less to re-power it with new panels, than the original panels cost.

[@zAlaska]

Were these designed to tip out of the hail storm or are they immobil? Ice recently saw an interview where the owner of his farm said that the solar panels automatically will turn so they will not be damaged. Have automatically turning panels been spared?

[@specialkonacid6574]

Real environmentally friendly ain't it

[@drewgoodman7932]

There’s plenty of valid arguments against solar, but chemicals leaching into the water table is not one of them. I think the carcinogenic coast has bigger problems than that.

[@raffly4449]

Solar panels contain glass, silicon and aluminum. There are no toxic chemicals to leach into the water. All the components are solids, no gels, liquids or anything else that is water soluable.

[@frydguy2331]

These panels were obviously NOT TESTED for real-life hazards before they were put up. Whoever was involved with the approval process needs to be fired for incompetence

[@christopherherold8740]

There was a town that refused to allow solar because they had concerns that it would take all the light from the sun and crops wouldn’t grow

[@deborahwalker306]

Imagine that😳

[@JohnBaptist-o2f]

makes me wonder of this type of damage on the multitude of homes in the area that have solar panels mounted on roofs

[@mrblock1318]

If they had a "Safety mode" where all the panels faced downward in an emergency like this, that would save million. probably cost more to install the system but you'd rarely have to worry about the hail as long as the back of the panels are robust.

[@ChaDotWho]

Many farms have exactly this. You increase production by tracking the suns angle throughout the day, so they use this tracker to initiate a “haul stow” or a “high wind stow”

[@williamzander9708]

Money makers and you can’t stop it . Thanks JB

[@tk3831]

Why does it seem like "green" technology is worse than what we had before?

[@chrisackerman1875]

There is currently a solar farm being installed just outside of cedar rapids iowa in a river basin . How long before it contaminates the water in this state ?

[@_DB.COOPER]

😂😆😝😆😆😂 Man made Global Warming at its finest folks!

[@brickbunny9686]

Well this is disappointing. Solar Panel companies claim that the panels are designed to be hail resistant. Apparently the standers they where using was not a very high rating.

[@mst3k751]

OMG! Texans think there are LIQUIDS in solar panels and "the internet runs through a series of tubes"! 🤣

[@wildcoyote34]

no there aren't liquids in them there are heavy metals that LEACH out in the rain ,, not LEAK

[@SkyPodp]

Why are some of the panels not broken at all? Are they made from a different material?

[@CraigyWaigyplays_official]

There already replacing solar panels at Old 300 Solar Farm, FM 442 and yet houses are not getting repaired first.

[@a-damgrubeer8527]

Guarantee they still work all busted up like dat

[@mantan9400]

Wow, all that lead soldier leaching into the ground and trickling down into the water table.

[@victoriaallen8271]

These big companies are the devil

[@johndavid9418]

You get what you pay for. Australian Federal law requires panels be made with tempered glass & withstand direct impact of 3cm hail stones.

[@geoher9124]

By weight, the typical crystalline silicon solar panel is made of about 76% glass, 10% plastic polymer, 8% aluminum, 5% silicon, 1% copper, and less than 0.1% silver and other metals, according to the Institute for Sustainable Futures. Graphic: UCS. That's the average American's daily diet of contamination.

[@ohioplayer-bl9em]

The panels in our area can move to follow the sun. They should have sensors on them that detect hail and move to a safe position.

[@Jerry-ko9pi]

I like how a few look untouched! Guess they were made better than all the rest!!

[@barbarashaffer8486]

but lets go all electric mmmmk k?

[@rogerbec5766]

Don't mean to add salt to the wound but have y'all thought about all the homes in Texas that have solar panels on their roofs? If insurance pays for these loses, yes, you, me and all homeowners who don't have solar panels can expect our insurance premiums to go up through the roof. Does anyone know if they are excluded under HO policies?

[@davekinghorn9567]

Articulating solar panels have hail sensors that will rotate the panels face down when hail is detected

[@christopherleubner6633]

These panels would not cause any real contamination. The outer case is glass, the layer underneath is silicone similar to the stuff used to seal tubs but far more durable. Then there is silver tin copper and busmeuth that connects the cells then silicon cells themselves, then more tin silver bismeuth and copper then more silicone and a polypropylene backing. They are pretty much hard to recycle scrap. There is no point in replacing them as horrible storms will be a yearly event. As to contamination it is very unlikely given the materials used unless someone lied about the solder msterials.

[@ismaciilcabdillahiyuusuf2650]

The World with peace, unity, integrity and love,, watching from berbera somaliland rep

[@one_wild_gopher3078]

What are the toxic chemicals in solar panels? The toxic chemicals in solar panels include cadmium telluride, copper indium selenide, cadmium gallium (di)selenide, copper indium gallium (di)selenide, hexafluoroethane, lead, and polyvinyl fluoride.

[@tee4272]

Should have used the Tesla solar panels that are rated for hail.

[@BobTheBuilder-ny5wj]

Have to be made in China before we print any money to buy them

[@michaelbest7872]

Just a visual thought when looking at this video of the solar panel farm.., WHY were some random solar panels seemingly undamaged/untouched by this reported hailstorm, while the majority adjacent panels were destroyed? Has anyone else noticed this, and wondered? Was a handful of panels, so to speak protected ( immune to hailstorms ), while the many were not? Or, because I'm not a solar panel expert, what's the difference between those many panels damaged and those few that were not damaged? I'm not seeing a discernable pattern and all panels are facing the same direction. The undamaged panels cannot be replacements. If so, why would anyone replace panels at random?

[@ChaDotWho]

Maybe because hail falls at random and not a blanket coverage effect? Purely guessing

[@Idontgetoffended]

Oh... so yet EVEN MIRE drawbacks to using/owning solar. Imagine when the whole country is forced to rely on solar for most of our energy needs. 🤦‍♂️

[@Shawn-o4c]

The solar PV tracker should have Hailstorm stow position at manimum of 70 degree to avoid cracks but in this case it seem that tracker are at around 60 degree which is more prone to damage.

[@Urbicide]

The Obama EPA facilitated the closure of many coal-fired power plants throughout the country. They provided inexpensive electricity & were very reliable. Most of the plants were replaced with plants that burn natural gas, which does burn cleaner. What that did was to cause the price of natural gas to sky-rocket for consumers who use natural gas to heat their homes & water. Also, rather than putting the coal-fired plants in reserve, in case of some grave emergency, all of these plants & their infrastructure were bull dozed & dynamited to the ground, & all electrical generating & power distribution equipment turned into scrap metal, so as to never be capable of ever being used again. This green energy is feel good virtue signaling, & is not capable of supplying the country's electrical needs, especially with the current administration's push for electric vehicles.

[@redhead3110]

Who would have ever thought hail would break solar panels lol

[@ee6839]

At least the broken solar panels are recyclable and they don't have to be thrown in a landfill. Oh, wait...

[@garyhooper1820]

Will take much time ,maybe years . For the toxic waste of this disaster to perk down to water table . Where will those responsible be then ?

[@richardcoram1562]

Will a fracking expert tell the people exactly what the purpose of fracking - mostly old slow production wells is? I'll just say this. I hauled a LOT of special SAND for the wells Haliburton was fracking. What I was told, the sand is pumped down into these old wells, and the sand is used to fill that oil cavity and force the oil up to be pumped out. Those Haliburton pumps put out tremendous pressure. So fracking is just a way to "scrape the bottom of the barrel" and salvage that oil. At the same time filling the old wells with sand.

[@joecarnahan6321]

Never seen a hail storm shutdown an Oil Well.

[@EricJaakkola]

You reported on this before the test results?

[@bobducharme4809]

I doubt those panels are not even working among other things.

[@richman61]

small personal applications are a lot better than these ginormous projects. At least you can easily prevent this destruction. All energy solutions have issues but we should try to use the "best" ones.

[@eddie947]

No one can name any toxic chemicals. It's like they don't exist. But if it was oil, they would ask for more in their water. People are just stupid

[@desking8065]

Where were the panels made. The glass is same as shower glass ,not supposed to break.

[@vision10345]

They are solid. If they were to mess with the water the rain would do that. It would leach with regular rain fall. This stuff doesn't break down, that is the environmental problem. What are they talking about?

[@kim.in.nature.]

Ground water testing won't show anything in a day , or maybe weeks. It'll be an ongoing problem. Watch for cheap real estate.

[@lowandslow3939]

They weren’t “destroyed” yes the glass was broken and that will reduce production to a degree. This is a hit piece on solar. I live off grid with solar, a battery bank, an inverter and charge controller. I have all the power need. I also have two generators for when the sun does not shine for a long period of time. One is propane and the other is gasoline fueled. When the grid goes down, I’m fine. If it goes down for a long time, I’m still fine. I will not depend on the status quo.

[@WoodsUnknown]

Quick question for anyone that knows, why are some panels untouched and the rest are destroyed? Are some north American made and others Chinese made?

[@m.muzammil567]

What happened to these solar panels?

[@tedwalker1370]

Why did some of the panels not brake but the majority of them did?

[@terryleebo]

A coal plant would not need to be rebuilt following a hail storm and it would generate the energy supply the grid needs, when it needs it.

[@badreality2]

Almost like a thorium-based power plant will be cleaner than chemical spills...