Case Study: Hail Stow Tech Cut Insurance Deductible by 50%
kWh Analytics
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An Arkansas municipal utility partnered with kWh Analytics and Nextracker to implement auto-stow technology, resulting in 50% lower insurance deductibles and enhanced protection for their solar project.
THE CHALLENGE
An Arkansas municipal utility faced limited options for protecting their solar project investment, commissioned in 2022, against severe weather damage.
THE SOLUTION
The utility partnered with kWh Analytics and Nextracker to upgrade existing systems to automatically tilt to a protective angle during hail events, making the site significantly more resilient and insurable.
This is so much easier, and lets us sleep better at night and focus on preserving utility services for our community members. When the storms roll through the plains, we want to focus on keeping the lights on
THE DETAILS
The Nextracker Asset Management Team engaged directly with the municipal utility to implement the necessary upgrades:
- Integration with the DTN hail forecast service for advanced weather alerts
- Nextracker’s Hail Pro™ solution with automated stowing feature
- Tailored hail stow thresholds covering expected hail size, proximity to site and probability of impact
- Automatically enter full stow position overnight
As a result, kWh Analytics was able to assess the following insurance benefits:
- 50% reduction in deductible if auto-stow was enabled by the next hail season
- Access to more comprehensive and lower cost property insurance going forward
- A more resilient and thus reliable power source for their customers
THE TAKEAWAY
This partnership demonstrates how innovative insurance structures can incentivize technological improvements that benefit all stakeholders — reducing risk for insurers while enhancing project resilience for asset owners.
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