Renew Risk, a specialist provider of renewable energy risk analytics and catastrophe modelling solutions, has announced the launch of its US SCS Model, which the company says is the first modelling platform developed specifically to assess severe convective storm risk for solar farms in the United States.
Renew Risk stated that the model is designed to strengthen how insurers, reinsurers and brokers evaluate and price risk across the rapidly expanding US solar market.
The company said the launch comes at a time when utility-scale solar development in the United States is accelerating, with the sector expected to add a record 86 GW of new capacity during 2026.
According to Renew Risk, this growth is increasing pressure on insurers as renewable energy assets become larger, more technically sophisticated and more frequently located in regions vulnerable to extreme weather events.
Renew Risk noted that severe storms have resulted in substantial financial losses for US solar operators in recent years. The company highlighted that while hail accounts for only 6% of recorded loss incidents, it represents 73% of overall financial losses linked to storm damage at solar facilities.
According to Renew Risk, the construction and operational characteristics of individual solar farms can significantly influence the scale of damage caused during weather events.
The company referenced the Fighting Jays Solar Farm in Texas, where a severe hailstorm in spring 2024 reportedly destroyed thousands of solar panels at the 35 MW site. Renew Risk stated that two nearby solar farms fitted with automated weather tracking systems, capable of positioning panels vertically ahead of storms, avoided direct hail damage, while a third nearby site experienced only limited impacts due to an issue affecting its hail mitigation system.
Renew Risk said its US SCS Model has been developed using what the company describes as an “asset-first” methodology, enabling insurers and reinsurers to assess resilience and exposure across renewable energy portfolios with greater precision.
Dr. Joshua Macabuag, CEO of Renew Risk, commented: “Historically, risk management has focused on rarer but catastrophic events such as hurricanes and earthquakes. However, high-frequency, highly localised severe convective storms are now the primary loss driver in the US, accounting for 51% of natural catastrophe related losses in 2025 – totalling $46 billion.
“For the solar market, traditional models fail to capture how this complex peril interacts with varied engineering systems. Our next generation US Solar Model gives our clients the competitive edge to grow their portfolios profitably and with confidence.”
Renew Risk said the model includes detailed analysis of asset value distribution, total insured value and business interruption exposure through the company’s Industry Exposure Database, which is updated monthly.
The company added that the platform applies machine-learning techniques to storm-scale modelling in order to address the limited availability of historical claims data for the remote locations where many solar farms are situated. Renew Risk stated that this capability was developed in partnership with AI modelling company Vāyuh.
The company also said the model combines analysis of hail, tornado and straight-line wind risks to better reflect the combined nature of severe convective storm events. In addition, Renew Risk noted that the platform incorporates asset-level variables including glass thickness, panel stow angle and system reliability, allowing for more detailed and tailored risk assessment.
David Vicary, Head of Solar at Renew Risk, added: “By taking an asset-first approach to model development and partnering with best-in-class organisations, we have developed a technically robust, highly asset-specific view of SCS risk that captures the unique risk drivers of utility scale solar farms.”
Renew Risk said the introduction of the US SCS Model forms part of the company’s wider expansion strategy. The launch follows the recent release of windstorm models focused on offshore wind farms across the coastlines of the UK, Ireland and continental Europe. According to Renew Risk, these additions build on its existing offshore wind modelling capabilities in markets including Taiwan, Japan and the United States.
Established in 2021, Renew Risk focuses on catastrophe modelling and risk analytics for renewable energy infrastructure. The company said it has secured £4.7 million in seed funding at a £16 million valuation and is able to develop catastrophe models in around nine months, considerably faster than the timelines typically associated with traditional modelling providers. Renew Risk added that its products are developed and validated alongside early market users to ensure they reflect practical underwriting and risk management requirements.
Renew Risk said it continues to work with insurers and other market participants to support underwriting decisions and portfolio risk management across global renewable energy assets. The company added that improving risk transparency and pricing accuracy could help expand insurance capacity for renewable infrastructure projects and support broader decarbonisation objectives.
