Fire, Hail, and the Hard Lessons: Brokers Weigh in on the 2026 Solar Risk Assessment

Why It Matters

The findings reshape underwriting criteria and pricing, forcing developers to prioritize weather‑hardening and data transparency to maintain long‑term insurability.

Key Takeaways

• Hail accounts for 73% of insured solar losses.
• 52% of U.S. needs more than standard 2 mm glass.
• Fire ranks second in loss drivers, 84% equipment‑driven.
• Inverters cause 44% of PV fires; one maker linked to 73%.
• Brokers stress equipment data and resilience docs even in soft market.

Pulse Analysis

The 2026 Solar Risk Assessment from kWh Analytics spotlights a shifting peril landscape for utility‑scale photovoltaics. Hail remains the dominant loss source, responsible for roughly 73 % of insured claims, and the report maps that more than half of the United States now requires glass thicker than the standard 2 mm to stay insurable. Meanwhile, fire has surged to the second‑largest driver of losses, with 84 % of incidents traced to equipment‑related brushfires, particularly inverter failures. These trends force developers to rethink module selection and stow‑angle strategies before the next policy renewal.

Insurance carriers are responding to the data by scrutinizing the broad Severe Convective Storm (SCS) definition that bundles hail, straight‑line wind, tornadoes and lightning under a single sublimit. Brokers at the Renewable Energy Broker Council argue that this aggregation inflates premiums and restricts coverage for lower‑frequency perils. At the same time, the lack of granular equipment disclosures—manufacturer and model numbers—hampers underwriters’ ability to price risk differentially. The council urges standardized data collection, from stow execution logs to inverter performance records, as a prerequisite for rewarding resilient assets.

For asset owners, the assessment translates into a clear business case: invest in hail‑hardened glass, maintain robust stow practices, and document every mitigation step, even when the market appears soft. Insurers, on their part, must refine policy language to separate fire from wildfire sublimits and to carve out exceptions for straight‑line wind within SCS clauses. Brokers see an opportunity to build long‑term partnerships by guiding developers toward best‑in‑class equipment and transparent data sharing, ultimately aligning underwriting incentives with the 35‑year lifespan of solar projects.