Does insurance pay for hail damage to solar panels in Germany?
In short
Yes, if the system is insured. Insurance in Germany treats hail as a covered peril in buildings insurance (Wohngebäudeversicherung), but the model terms exclude solar panels until you add them; a 2025 consumer test found good add-ons from about EUR 35 a year. A separate solar policy (Photovoltaikversicherung) also pays for hail damage; a manufacturer's warranty is no substitute.
Premiums from a 2025 consumer test and guide values for damage inspection.
Example
Typical range
Solar add-on to buildings insurance, consumer test April 2025
from about EUR 35 extra a year
Separate solar policy, 7 kWp with battery, system value EUR 20,000
about EUR 65 to 137 a year
Visual inspection after hail
about EUR 120 to 250
Thermal imaging after hail
about EUR 150 to 600
Three months' downtime, 10 kWp
about EUR 190 when exporting, about EUR 925 when self-consuming
As of October 2026.
Premiums come from the April 2025 consumer test.
Inspection costs and the downtime figures (10,000 kWh yearly yield, 7.7 cent feed-in tariff,
37 cent electricity price) are guide values from our quoting practice.
Module replacement costs including scaffolding vary widely and are not quoted here.
We obtain the exact quote for you.
Worked example
Hailstorm in Upper Bavaria, 10 kWp system, two panels with broken glass
The system is included in the buildings insurance. After the storm the monitoring also shows one weaker string.
Visible damage
2 panels with broken glass
Thermal imaging because of the weak string
guide value EUR 150 to 600
Finding
4 more panels with micro-cracks
Reported to the insurer
6 panels, fitting, scaffolding
Reporting only the two visibly broken panels would leave four damaged ones unclaimed, to be noticed months later. Worked example with guide values.
Which policy pays for hail damage
The German model terms for buildings insurance (VGB 2022) list hail as a covered peril (clause A 5.2) but expressly exclude solar systems with panels, inverter, cabling and battery (clause A 7.6.1). Without the add-on, buildings insurance does not pay for hail damage to the solar panels, though it does pay for the roof underneath.
A separate solar policy normally includes hail, often along with power surges, marten bites, theft and operating errors. It is worth it mainly for large systems, with a battery, or if you want loss-of-income cover.
Your cover
Hail damage to panels
Loss of income
Buildings insurance without add-on
no
no
Buildings insurance with add-on
yes
only if agreed
Separate solar policy
yes
usually as an option
Manufacturer's warranty
no, it covers product defects
no
The real problem: micro-cracks
Broken glass is obvious. But hail can leave fine cracks in the solar cells while the glass looks intact. An analysis of the severe 2021 hail summer in Switzerland shows that such cell cracks often go unnoticed and can reduce output over a long period.
The later you report, the harder it is to prove hail caused it. Have the system checked after a heavy hailstorm even if it looks fine. Thermal imaging costs a guide EUR 150 to 600 but detects cell cracks only to a limited extent; electroluminescence testing shows them more reliably.
Reporting: without delay and with evidence
Under section 30 of the German Insurance Contract Act (VVG) you must report a claim without undue delay. The law sets no fixed seven-day deadline, but every day of delay weakens your proof.
Useful evidence: photos of hailstones next to a ruler, weather data for the day, the yield curve from your monitoring before and after, and the inspection report. A sudden drop in daily yield in similar weather, or one string staying weaker, is a warning sign.
What hail resistance classes mean
The hail resistance classes HW 1 to HW 5 from the Swiss and Austrian hail register stand for hailstones of 10 to 50 millimetres that a product withstands. The mandatory IEC 61215 test uses 25 millimetre ice balls at 23 metres per second, so smaller hailstones than classes HW 3 to HW 5.
The VGB 2022 model terms do not require any particular hail class for cover. In regions with frequent severe hail, modules rated HW 4 or glass-glass modules are still sensible prevention because they avoid damage and downtime.
Loss of income: what downtime costs
If a 10 kWp system is down for three months after hail damage, you lose around 2,500 kWh. Fed into the grid that is only about EUR 190; if you use the power yourself and must buy it in instead, it is closer to EUR 925.
Only an agreed loss-of-income option pays this. Whether it is worth it depends on how much of your solar power you use yourself.
Step by step
After the hail, photograph roof, panels and hailstones.
Report the damage to the insurer without delay, even on suspicion.
Save the yield data from your monitoring.
Have a solar installer inspect the system, with electroluminescence testing if in doubt.
Replace panels only after agreeing with the insurer.
Checklist
Solar system added to buildings insurance or own policy
Sum insured covers the system's value
Battery and inverter included
Loss of income chosen or declined on purpose
Monitoring active
Common mistakes
Assuming buildings insurance includes the panels automatically
Relying on the manufacturer's warranty
Reporting only visible glass breakage
Reporting months later
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does buildings insurance cover hail on my solar panels?
Only if the system has been added.
Otherwise the German model terms exclude solar systems.
Does the manufacturer's warranty pay for hail?
Do not rely on it.
Panel warranties relate to product and performance defects; for hail damage you need insurance.
How do I spot micro-cracks?
Often not by eye.
Your yield gives hints; electroluminescence testing shows them reliably,
thermal imaging only to a limited extent.
Is a balcony solar kit covered against hail?
Under the VGB 2022 model terms it counts as building accessories,
and the solar exclusion does not apply.
Check your own policy.
Do I need to report damage to the roof under the panels?
Yes.
Buildings insurance pays for roof damage; the panels only with the add-on or a separate policy.
