Hail damage to solar systems in the Canton of LucerneGVL: report before work.

Who insures your solar system in the Canton of Lucerne

In the Canton of Lucerne, the Lucerne building insurance (GVL) insures solar systems. This applies to thermal and photovoltaic systems permanently mounted on the building. It covers fire and natural hazard damage, which includes hail. Excluded are systems built and operated under contracting, unless they are part of the building envelope as an in-roof system.

In the case of business interruption, the GVL covers the physical damage but not loss of yield. Glass breakage and theft can be insured additionally with a private insurer.

What to do after hail

Report the damage to the GVL and photograph it from the ground. Do not climb onto the roof. We then inspect the system on site: modules, cables, connectors, inverter and mounting structure. Cell cracks are often not visible from outside, so we measure the strings as well. We document the damage for the insurer and replace defective modules.

Have the module type, number, year of construction and the invoice for the system ready for the claim file. We provide the technical findings and the quote for replacing modules.

Hail protection for new systems

The GVL states that hailstones of at least 3 cm in diameter are to be expected throughout the Canton of Lucerne. The SIA standard 261/1 sets the 50-year hail event as the minimum protection target. For solar systems, the GVL recommends a hail resistance of at least HW3 and, where possible, a higher class, ideally HW4 or above. The Swiss hail register (Hagelregister) provides information. We choose the modules accordingly.

The GVL asks that the system be reported before work starts and that a second report be submitted after commissioning. The finished system must also be registered with it for acceptance, with an installation certificate (Installationsattest) from a recognised inspection firm. We supply the certificate and the system data for this.