Severe Weather: Challenges and Adaptive Solutions for Solar Power Resilience

In 2024 the global share of solar accounted for 6.9% while in Italy this share exceeded 13% and continues to grow rapidly [1]. Given the constant increase in electricity demand, solar energy is playing a more and more significant role in meeting energy needs.

However, aside from the intrinsic weather-dependent nature of solar generation, the continuity of power supply can also be threatened by extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change [2]. For example, windstorms and hailstorms can cause significant damage in a short period of time, leading to revenue losses from production interruptions. Sometimes the severity of damage is such that a complete reconstruction of the solar field becomes necessary, entailing substantial financial costs. Even when insurance coverage is in place, the lengthy process of compensation and reconstruction leads to further revenue losses for the producer.

An increase in atmospheric conditions prone to severe storms is expected [2], making mitigation strategies essential, especially in countries where solar power plays a crucial role in meeting energy demand peaks, such as in Italy

In this work, we analyse the needs and strategies that can be implemented to mitigate the impact of severe weather on solar production, highlighting the importance of an interdisciplinary approach.

To enhance the resilience of solar power systems against extreme weather events three key goals have been identified:

• Advancements in PV component technology,
• Optimization of system control strategies,
• Development of effective early warning systems.

As for the first strategy, under the framework of the International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA-PVPS) the Task 13 - a group of international PV experts - is addressing this challenge by conducting studies on how hail impacts depend on direction, density, and speed [3]. In this regard, historical weather and damage data becomes very relevant.

On the other hand, an effective early warning system, combined with robust PV tracker control units, plays a critical role in protecting PV installations from irreversible damage and mitigating the subsequent revenue losses.

Therefore, it is important to make a coordinated effort to monitor extreme weather events, to make historical weather and damage data available, and to foster collaboration among meteorologists, solar panel manufacturers, control system designers, and operators.

• Ember (2025); Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2024).
• M. E. Pons e D. Faranda, «Assessing the future occurrence of severe thunderstorm environments in Europe: frequency, hotspots and impacts», 2021. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:236764490
• https://iea-pvps.org/research-tasks/reliability-and-performance-of-pv-systems/