Is it ok to walk or sit on solar panels? The truth among conflicting answers

Do you notice a key difference between the above picture and the one below? One is relatively safe for the solar cells, the other causes permanent damage

If you search whether it is safe to walk or sit on solar panels, you might see conflicting answers. Some search results say don't do it, whereas others say it is ok, provided you're light or careful enough. Then we see various Youtube videos of people walking on panels like it's nothing, even solar panel cleaners installing mesh screens while sitting right in the middle of the panel (see picture below). So what is the truth?

The truth can be found directly from the solar panel manufacturers themselves. If anyone knows the weight tolerance and damage to the panels, it would be them. What do they say about this?

Do not stand, step, walk and / or jump on modules under any circumstances. Localized heavy loads may cause severe micro-cracks at the cell level, which in turn may compromise module reliability and void Canadian Solar Inc’s warranty

Basically all instruction manuals from every solar panel manufacturer says the same thing - don't do it. As Canadian Solar explains, even if the outer glass does not crack, the compression underneath causes the solar cells to micro-crack, causing real but visually indiscernible damage. This is probably why there is conflicting information, because most people determine the answer by visual inspection of the outer glass. If there is no glass cracking, they assume no damage was done. To illustrate, think of your mobile device. If enough weight and pressure was applied to the screen, is it possible to damage the pixels underneath the glass before it cracks? If you ever experienced dead pixels, you already know the answer, which is Yes. It's the same with solar panels. Dead solar cells doesn’t result in total panel failure, but it does result in dead cells and consequently reduced efficiency.

The short answer is because it is convenient to do so.

Why then do we see pictures and videos of workers in the industry sitting or walking on solar panels? The short answer is because it is convenient to do so, especially if they need to reach somewhere. In the top picture, at least they are trying to stand on the frame instead of the middle of the panel, mitigating most of the damage. Still, if it was my personal panels, I wouldn't allow it. And then you have the picture below, this is a solar cleaning company installing a mesh screen on the roof edge of the panels. In the beginning, they start by lying down on the panels, trying to spread the weight. Then they use a board to sit on as the installer moves along the edge. And finally with their patience gone, he's just sitting directly in the middle of the panel, as can be seen in the picture. Regardless of what technique they think was helping, all of the methods they used can cause permanent damage to the solar cells, and they probably thought they didn't cause any damage due to the outer glass not cracking.

I have turned down work where I can't install the mesh screen on the roof edge because I refuse to do what this company did, to sit on customer panels. They probably didn't have a ladder tall enough to handle this job without sitting on the panels. I'm not sure why they recorded themselves doing something that could incriminate them, let alone posting this on Youtube so that customers know which company to avoid. At Interstellar, we strive to provide the best service by being upfront and honest in what we can and cannot do, and under no circumstances will we ever sit or stand on your panels. We view and treat your panels like it is our own, and we feel that's the way every service should be.

The bottom 3 panels will never be the same. This is a solar cleaning company located in San Diego, CA working on a real customer's home. Choose your cleaners and installers carefully.