Durability
Hail-resistant solar panels.
Built to take a direct hit — and we’ve got the test to prove it.
Built past the benchmark
The pass mark is a 25 mm hailstone. Risen tests to 55.
The IEC 61215 standard qualifies a solar panel by firing a 25 mm ice ball at it at 83 km/h. That’s the bar every certified module must clear. Risen clears it — then keeps going: its 600 W-plus 210 mm modules take two direct 35 mm heavy-hail hits and come through without a mark, and the Hyper-ion series is put through hail testing at up to three times the standard’s severity, with lab-grown ice balls as large as 55 mm.
- 25 mm
- Standard IEC 61215 hail test — passed by every Risen module
- 35 mm
- Two heavy-hail ice balls fired straight at the panel — with no damage
- 55 mm
- Largest ice ball in Risen’s enhanced Hyper-ion testing
- 5400 Pa
- Rated front mechanical load — about 550 kg per m²
Watch the test
Two direct hits. Not a mark on it.
The China Meteorological Administration classes any hailstone larger than 20 mm across as a heavy-hail event. Risen’s R&D team took a 600 W-plus 210 mm module and hit it with two lab-grown ice balls back to back: 34.40 mm at 27.95 m/s, then 35.10 mm at 26.34 m/s. After both heavy-hail impacts, the module was completely unscathed — not a crack, not a mark.
IEC 61215 hail test
The hail test, in numbers.
Hail-test ice balls are made to a defined diameter, mass and impact speed. The 25 mm stone is the standard qualification test; the larger sizes define the enhanced tests. Impact energy climbs fast with size — a 45 mm golf-ball-sized stone hits with roughly ten times the energy of the standard test — which is why testing past 25 mm matters.
| Hailstone diameter | Mass | Impact speed | For scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 mm Standard test | 7.53 g | 23.0 m/s (83 km/h) | Marble |
| 35 mm | 20.7 g | 27.2 m/s (98 km/h) | Large marble |
| 45 mm | 43.9 g | 30.7 m/s (110 km/h) | Golf ball |
| 55 mm | 80.2 g | 33.9 m/s (122 km/h) | Billiard ball |
| 65 mm | 132.0 g | 36.7 m/s (132 km/h) | Tennis ball |
| 75 mm | 203.0 g | 39.5 m/s (142 km/h) | Baseball |
Source: IEC 61215 hail-test parameters (ice-ball diameter, mass and test speed, ±5%). Every Risen module is qualified against the 25 mm test; the Hyper-ion series is tested through the larger sizes.
How it holds up
Why a Risen panel is hard to crack.
- 01
Heat-strengthened dual glass
Risen’s flagship modules are bifacial dual-glass: two panes of 1.6–2.0 mm AR-coated, heat-strengthened glass front and back — not a soft polymer backsheet. Two toughened faces spread and absorb an impact far better than one, which is exactly why dual-glass modules hold up best under hail.
- 02
A 5400 Pa load rating
The frame-and-glass structure is rated to a 5400 Pa front mechanical load — roughly 550 kg pressing on every square metre. The same stiffness that lets a panel carry snow and wind load without flexing is what resists the sudden, concentrated punch of a hailstone.
- 03
n-type cells that tolerate stress
Risen’s n-type TOPCon and heterojunction (HJT) cells use many fine interconnects (multi-busbar and 0BB designs). More connections mean more paths around a localised micro-crack, so a module keeps delivering power after an impact that would strand a brittle, few-busbar cell.
- 04
Tested, not just claimed
Every Risen module is certified to IEC 61215 and IEC 61730, and the Hyper-ion series is put through 3× IEC 61215/61730 hail testing under stricter conditions — verified in CNAS-accredited laboratories and by TÜV SÜD. The durability is independently proven, not marketing.
FAQ
Hail & durability — common questions.
Are Risen solar panels hail resistant?
Yes. Every Risen module is certified to IEC 61215 and IEC 61730, which includes a hail-impact test, and Risen puts its Hyper-ion range through enhanced hail testing well beyond the standard — with lab-grown ice balls from 35 mm to 55 mm. Built on heat-strengthened dual glass and rated to a 5400 Pa mechanical load, Risen panels are designed to survive Australian hailstorms.
What size hail can Risen solar panels withstand?
The IEC 61215 qualification test fires a 25 mm ice ball at the panel at 23 m/s (about 83 km/h), and every Risen module passes it. Beyond that, Risen’s R&D team has hit its 600 W-plus 210 mm modules with 35 mm heavy-hail ice balls — twice, back to back — with no damage, and the Hyper-ion range is tested with ice balls up to 55 mm, around the size of a billiard ball.
What is the IEC 61215 hail test?
IEC 61215 is the international durability standard for solar modules. Its hail test fires precisely made ice balls at 11 impact points on the panel — the standard qualification uses a 25 mm ball at 23 m/s (83 km/h). The panel must show no visible cracking and keep its electrical performance. IEC also defines larger ice-ball sizes (up to 75 mm) for enhanced testing, which is the regime Risen’s Hyper-ion modules are run through.
Are dual-glass panels more hail resistant than glass-backsheet panels?
Generally, yes. A dual-glass module has two toughened glass faces instead of one glass front and a soft polymer backsheet. The second pane stiffens the laminate and helps spread impact energy, so dual-glass construction — like Risen’s Hyper-ion Pro and n-type TOPCon bifacial modules — tends to perform better under hail and heavy mechanical load.
Which Risen panel is best for a hail-prone area?
Risen’s bifacial dual-glass modules are the strongest choice — the Hyper-ion Pro HJT (RSM132) for the highest performance, or the n-type TOPCon bifacial modules for homes and commercial roofs. All use heat-strengthened dual glass and carry the 5400 Pa front load rating. Talk to our team about the right module for your site and local hail risk.
Is hail damage to solar panels covered by warranty?
A product warranty covers manufacturing defects, not storm damage — hail damage is normally handled through home or business insurance. But a module that meets IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 and survives enhanced hail testing is far less likely to be damaged in the first place, and its certification helps demonstrate the array was built to standard. Risen backs its modules with a 15–25 year product warranty and a 30-year performance warranty, serviced locally in Australia.
Building where hail is a risk?
Explore the n-type TOPCon and Hyper-ion HJT dual-glass range, or talk to our team about the right module for your site.