kWh analysis has launched a pilot data-sharing program to reward renewable energy sources for efforts to limit extreme weather events. kWh Analytics expands its risk modeling capabilities by using data from solar projects that employ advanced resiliency measures that go beyond the information typically captured in standard insurance submissions.
Credit: Nextpower
The initial focus of the pilot is to improve the way project-level resilience data is captured and communicated to insurance companies. Advances in tracker technology, including 70° stowage capabilities, automated stowage procedures and the increasing availability of historical stowage performance data, are creating new opportunities to give insurers a clearer understanding of how assets are designed and managed in the lead-up to severe weather events.
Modeling these resilient configurations yields substantial reductions in average annual losses and insurance premiums at the portfolio level compared to baseline assumptions and storage protocols. Projects that incorporate additional mitigation measures, including thicker, heat-toughened module glass, further reduce loss profiles.
For solar developer owners enrolled in the Collaborative Telematics Program: Next power will share real-time and historical hailstorm performance data, enabling a more dynamic and evidence-based view of project risk. By integrating this operational data into its proprietary risk modeling platform, kWh Analytics can better evaluate how system design and operational readiness impact expected losses. This approach mirrors the use of telematics in the auto insurance industry, where driving behavior data is shared with carriers to better tailor premiums to actual risk.
“Extreme weather remains a leading cause of loss for utility-scale solar, and the industry is making rapid progress in how these risks are managed,” said Jason Kaminsky, CEO of kWh Analytics. “By integrating real-world data, including storage performance from Nextpower tracking systems, we can more closely link insurance structures to demonstrated resilience, driving investments that protect assets and strengthen the long-term bankability of solar projects.”
In the kWh Analytics Solar Risk Assessment 2024Longroad Energy and Nextpower published a case study showing that proactive storage at 75° would have reduced the risk of damage from an actual event in 2022 by 87%, compared to storage at 60°.
“We are excited to partner with kWh Analytics on this groundbreaking program that will bring greater transparency and precision to how solar risk is evaluated,” said Jyoti Jain, head of software product management at Nextpower. “By enabling customers to share verified storage performance data from our NX Horizon trackers with Hail Pro technology, we are enabling a shift from modeled assumptions to real-world evidence. This level of insight allows insurers to reward projects that are truly designed and executed for long-term resilience.”
The new framework recognizes the growing role of advanced solar tracking systems and site design strategies in fortifying projects against severe weather risks, including high winds, hail and flooding. As extreme weather events become more common in the United States, this approach is intended to better align insurance prices with the technical, technological and operational choices that significantly reduce loss potential and improve the long-term sustainability of assets.
kWh Analytics expects that additional technologies and operational practices will qualify for premium differentiation over time as data quality, verification and modeling continue to improve. The company plans to expand this framework through continued collaboration with industry leaders.
News item from kWh Analytics
