kWh Analytics, embedded within its licensed insurance subsidiary Solar Energy Insurance Services, has launched a pilot programme to recognise solar projects that adopt measures to withstand extreme weather.
The initiative is designed to improve risk modelling by incorporating data from projects that implement resilience strategies beyond what is typically included in standard insurance submissions.
The pilot focuses on capturing detailed project-level resilience information and transmitting it to insurers. Advances in tracker technology, such as stow capabilities above 70 degrees, automated stow procedures, and the expanding availability of historical stow performance data, allow insurers to gain clearer insight into how assets are designed and operated prior to severe weather events.
Modelling these enhanced configurations demonstrates significant reductions in portfolio-level average annual losses and insurance premiums compared with baseline assumptions and conventional stow protocols. Additional mitigation measures, including thicker, heat-tempered module glass, further reduce potential losses.
In the kWh Analytics Solar Risk Assessment 2024, a case study by Longroad Energy and Nextpower showed that proactive stowing at 75 degrees would have lowered the probability of damage during a 2022 event by 87% compared with stowing at 60 degrees.
The framework underscores the impact of advanced solar tracker systems and strategic site design in increasing resilience against high winds, hail, and flooding. As extreme weather becomes more frequent across the U.S., the approach aims to better align insurance pricing with engineering, technology, and operational decisions that reduce loss potential and extend asset longevity.
kWh Analytics expects that additional technologies and operational practices will qualify for premium differentiation as data quality, verification, and modelling capabilities advance. The company plans to broaden the framework through ongoing collaboration with industry stakeholders, observing that the sharing of real-time resilience data often encourages other insurers to follow suit.
For solar developers participating in the collaborative telematics programme, Nextpower will provide both real-time and historical hail stow performance data, offering a dynamic and evidence-based view of project risk.
By integrating this operational data into its proprietary risk modelling platform, kWh Analytics can more precisely assess how system design and operational readiness influence expected losses, an approach comparable to telematics in motor insurance, where driving behaviour informs premium calculations.
“Extreme weather continues to be a significant driver of loss for utility-scale solar, and the industry is rapidly advancing how those risks are managed,” commented Jason Kaminsky, CEO of kWh Analytics. “By incorporating real-world data, including stow performance from Nextpower tracking systems, we can tie insurance structures more closely to demonstrated resiliency, encouraging investments that protect assets and strengthen the long-term bankability of solar projects.”
“We’re excited to partner with kWh Analytics on this ground-breaking program that will bring greater transparency and precision to how solar asset risk is evaluated,” added Jyoti Jain, Head of Software Product Management at Nextpower.
“By allowing customers to share verified stow performance data from our NX Horizon® trackers with Hail Pro™ technology, we’re enabling a shift from modelled assumptions to real-world evidence. This level of insight allows insurers to reward projects that are truly engineered and operated for long-term resilience.”
