A routine thunderstorm & numerous rooftop solar systems collapsed: Teaching a lesson on solar quality standards

Business Standard

09-05-2025

Indore, India May 8th 2025: On May 4th, Indore witnessed a routine thunderstorm, with wind speeds reported at a staggering 120 kmph. Similar scenes were reported in Bhopal the next evening as hard winds swooped across the city accompanied by heavy rains. Such storms are frequent in pre-monsoon periods every year. Fallen trees are a common sight during such storms, but fallen rooftop solar systems?
The morning after has revealed a shocking sight in both cities: numerous rooftop solar systems collapsed across both cities - with panels flown off and structures damaged. This poses a bigger question - what will happen when storms touch 140-150 kmph which also occurs on a few days every year.
For homeowners, this was a total collapse of trust. Indian families are going solar on the promise of electricity bill savings for 25 years, but the question remains - is the quality of installation in the market designed to last even three years?
Here's the truth: This wasn't even an extreme weather event. It was a routine pre-monsoon thunderstorm—common across India every summer. This is a reality of solar installation quality across India.
That's the real concern. If customers are getting solar that can't even handle windspeeds of 100–120 kmph— what will happen in extreme weather conditions when higher storms occur? The risk to property and life is a matter of grave concern.
A Harsh Reality: The Big Price of Compromised Safety
Indians are embracing solar in the wake of India's ambitious PM Surya Ghar scheme which offers subsidies of up to Rs. 78,000. Solar is a great investment for families as they promise 25 years of free electricity and pay back periods under 5 years. But across the country, many solar vendors are cutting corners by installing non-engineered, sub-standard rooftop solar systems.
The module mounting structures are the backbone of a solar system. But across the market, it has been observed that these are not designed for sufficient strength - barely able to endure wind speeds of even 120 kmph. Another issue is usage of poor quality materials which rust within 3–4 years – further compromising structural strength as the years pass and becoming
more prone to storm damage. These quality compromises may save money initially, but they cost dearly later—in damage, in safety, and in trust.
At just 120 kmph, these installations didn't just fail—they became dangerous debris. Solar panels flew off rooftops. Some crash landed in neighbouring homes.
At SolarSquare, we are obsessed with meeting high safety standards
At SolarSquare, safety is not negotiable. We believe in engineering solar not just for sunshine, but for storms. That's why we developed the Intelligent WindPro Mount™ (Patent Pending) —India's safest, storm-proof solar mounting structure that withstands all storms. WindPro Mount™ is approved by IIT Bombay to be storm and cyclone safe in windspeeds of even 170 kmph. Moreover, these are completely pre-fabricated and made in factories with precision manufacturing techniques ensuring consistency in quality and zero-risk of human errors on your roof. Using Japanese Poka-Yoke (mistake-proofing) principles, we ensure every piece fits perfectly and performs flawlessly.
Not just engineering brilliance - but the kind of safety that gives you peace of mind, even when the skies turn grey.
And our numbers back our safety claims too - With over 20,000 installations across the nation, 99.91% of SolarSquare's installations reported ZERO storm damage.
What You Deserve
When you go solar, you deserve more than savings. You deserve safety. Stability. Peace of mind.
Too many amateur vendors treat structural safety as optional. But for us, it is sacred. We follow rigorous standards in both design and post-installation maintenance. That's what sets us apart.
Solar is the future—but only if it's engineered for it.
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