kWh Analytics, a provider of climate insurance, has partnered with Nextracker, a provider of solar tracking solutions, to help secure improved insurance terms for a solar project in Arkansas—cutting the severe convective storm deductible by 50%.
This collaboration highlights the impact of combining smart technology with insurance models to better protect renewable energy investments.
The initiative emerged after traditional insurers declined to cover hail risk for a municipal solar developer—a growing concern in regions prone to severe storms.
Upon identifying that the project utilised Nextracker’s tracking technology, kWh Analytics developed a customised insurance plan. This plan featured robust hail coverage and significantly lower deductibles, enabled by the use of Nextracker’s NX Horizon Hail Pro automated stow system.
“This collaboration with Nextracker exemplifies how data-driven underwriting can incentivise resilience measures and benefit all stakeholders,” added Jason Kaminsky, CEO of kWh Analytics. “By quantifying the risk reduction from advanced technologies like automated hail stow, we’re able to offer significantly improved insurance terms.”
“As extreme weather events become more frequent, having the ability to actively mitigate hail risk is becoming essential for solar asset owners and insurers,” said Andrew Griffiths, vice president asset management, Nextracker.
The NX Horizon tracker incorporates built-in technology that enables rapid stowing, independent of grid power. To boost storm readiness, Nextracker’s asset management team worked closely with the municipal utility to retrofit the site’s existing systems with Hail Pro control hardware and updated firmware, activating automated stow functionality.
This upgrade also brought in DTN’s hail forecasting service and Nextracker’s custom stow triggers, which automatically respond to hail size, proximity, and strike probability.
Griffiths continued: “Our Hail Pro technology is delivering measurable value by keeping critical infrastructure operating in the field, and in this case, contributing to lower insurance deductibles. This collaboration proves that smarter tracker design and advanced software can strengthen asset resilience and improve project economics.”
“This is so much easier and lets us sleep better at night and focus on preserving utility services for our community members,” said the municipal utility operations manager.
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