Cracked Panels, Leaking Water, and the Fairytale of ‘No Pathway’
Apparently we’re supposed to believe solar panels are getting better while the industry quietly admits they’re breaking more often. Cool.
In PV-Magazine’s “Solar modules under pressure: The growing risk of spontaneous glass breakage” (Jan. 15, 2026), they admit spontaneous glass breakage is becoming more frequent — including this gem:
“Cases of cracked or broken modules, sometimes just weeks after installation, occur without any external shock or exceptional weather event being implicated.”
Weeks.
No hail. No tractors. No tornadoes. Just… crack.
But wait — it’s not just “spontaneous” breakage.
Also, in pv magazine USA’s “Long-term issues found in warehoused solar panels” (March 27, 2025), they describe how warehouse storage and handling can create damage that only shows up later — meaning the potential for breakage and failure can begin before panels are even installed.
And then comes the part we’re all apparently supposed to ignore (again, from PV-Magazine’s Jan. 15, 2026 article):
“Delayed identification can lead to water infiltration, resulting in insulation defects, reduced availability and efficiency, and even fire hazards.”
Now let’s apply rural common sense:
If water can get into a panel, that panel is no longer sealed.
And if it’s no longer sealed, that water can and likely will come out.
Thanks to this ancient scientific concept called gravity (I don’t believe this is considered misinformation), water moves downward — onto the soil, into ditches, through tile drains, and toward streams and groundwater.
Yet developers, trade groups, and those “pesky landowners” who mistakenly believe they can do whatever they want on their property keep repeating the same line:
“There is ZERO concern.”
“Anyone who questions this is misinformed.”
Right.
Because broken glass + water infiltration + decades outdoors = magically a closed system.
And if anyone still wants to pretend “there’s no pathway,” here’s a peer-reviewed study (Robinson & Meindl, 2019) spelling it out:
“It is possible under operating conditions that PV panels can leach toxic elements if water penetrates into the modules through damaged areas, such as cracks in the module glass or through defective laminations.”
Turns out ‘trust the science’ has an asterisk when it makes developers and land owners feel uncomfortable (or worse).
Rural communities aren’t anti-science. We’re just anti-gaslighting — and we still remember how water works.