NATURAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES result of savings is referred to as the ‘payback time’. The cost of replacing PV modules significantly damaged by these hailstorms has been calculated as R 53,500. All this means that consideration needs to be given to whether or not solar PV systems will be sustainable or financially viable if adverse weather events increase as a result of climate change. Given annual solar radiation levels, Alice has the potential for significant solar PV power generation, with the result that a strong argument can be made for a campus that is completely solar powered on the basis of cost savings. However, climate change may mean that this argument has to be revisited as an increase in severe weather events results in damage that reduces generation Figure 2. Images from the hailstorm event in Alice on September 30, 2022: power. This then leaves arguments (a) dimension of some hailstones, (b) damaged property and (c) impact of about the value of solar PV systems hailstones on solar PV modules in contributing to sustainability. Regardless of the focus of future in a study that involved monitoring One of the reasons for installing solar discussions, the University will be able the systems installed at SolarWatt PV systems is to save on energy costs, to count on its own researchers at the Park on the Alice Campus. with consumers often calculating Fort Hare Institute of Technology and the time it will take for savings in the associated departments to provide Monitoring of the 6 year old cost of buying electricity to cover the sound research-based advice, as the polycrystalline modules installed on cost of installation. The period taken study reported above shows. the rooftops at SolarWatt Park after to cover the cost of the system as a the first hailstorm in December 2021 revealed a drop in obtainable power output of about 13%. After the second severe storm on September 30, 2022, the output further dipped by another 17% for a moderately damaged module and 62% for a module with major cracks (Figure 2). The system at SolarWatt Park was initially designed to generate a minimum of 7.875 kWh per annum. However, in its current state, it can only generate about 2.520 kWh per annum since more than half of the Figure 3. Electrical characterisation of the solar PV modules before and modules have been badly damaged. after the hailstorm Research Report 2021/2022 | 26