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Freeman writes:

https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/09/the-stormy-relationship-between-solar-power-and-the-weather/

Solar panels have a love-hate relationship with nature.They need to be placed in exposed locations that get a lot of sunlight, but cloudy weather obviously reduces their production. Less obviously, more extreme weather—from snowstorms to hurricanes—can damage or even break solar hardware altogether. New research performed by Sandia National Laboratories and published in Applied Energy showcases how weather events can reduce the amount of energy produced by the United States' solar farms.

[...] Unpublished NREL research also suggests ways in which solar panels can better withstand extreme weather, Walker said. Methods include water-tight enclosures, modules mounted on three rails (rather than two), thicker glass, wind-calming fences, marine-grade steel, and through-bolting (rather than clamps). "It turns out that clamps are the smoking gun in a lot of module liberations, as it's called when a [photovoltaic] module blows off a rack," he said.

Applied Energy, 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117508 (About DOIs)

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