Climate insurance provider kWh Analytics has released the 2025 version of its annual Solar Risk Assessment, providing key stats and information from deep research on the threats to solar, wind, and battery storage.
In the report, kWh Analytics addressed risks related to extreme weather, operational conditions, and battery storage. Contributors presented their data related to each risk factor, from organizations such as quality assurance and certification provider Kiwa and the hail research team at Central Michigan University.
Here were some key insights:
1. PV sites nationwide are underperforming by an average of 8.6%.
Using monthly operating reports and performance data from 34k system-months, kWh Analytics determined most U.S. solar sites are not meeting forecasted models.
2. Far-away fires can impact annual revenue loss by up to 6%.
Smoke from fires, even hundreds of miles away, can cause solar assets to lose annual site revenue, according to an analysis of 40 locations by 60Hertz Energy.
3. A sample of newly commissioned solar sites revealed a nearly 4x increase in hot spots.
Contributor Zeitview, a solar inspection company, found hot spot prevalence increased from 0.24% in 2023 to 0.81% in 2024.
4. Future climate models estimate a 4.9% power loss on solar production over the next 30 years.
Extreme weather needs to be taken into account for accurate financial modeling as well as production estimates.
Across all of these risks, the message is clear: renewables need to ensure resilience and performance to continue contributing to America’s growing demand for energy.
At Omnidian, we are committed to protecting over 2GW of solar across thousands of sites in the U.S and Australia. Our proactive approach to asset performance management and maintenance, delivered using our proprietary technology and team of solar experts, can help mitigate some of the concerns surfaced in the kWh Analytics report.
“The kWh Analytics report reinforces what we’ve seen across the portfolios we manage: the solar industry needs to move beyond a ‘set it and forget it’ mentality,” says Ben Compton, Vice President of Key Accounts. “When sites are underperforming by 8.6% on average and facing new challenges from climate impacts, proactive asset performance management is essential for protecting long-term returns. That’s how we create truly sustainable partnerships that deliver value for decades, not just years.”
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