KISTERS announced the launch of the HailSens360, a world-first, early warning and hail
monitoring system combining advanced hail sensing instrumentation with sophisticated cloudbased software, providing solar O&M teams streamlined access to localized, severe weather
data insights.
Through intelligent software and sensor technology, HailSens360 synthesizes forecast data (18
hours ahead), nowcast data (60-90 minutes ahead with updates every 6 mins) along with
meticulous post-event analysis detailing the full scope of a hail event. These crucial pre- and
post-event insights provide invaluable decision support in high stakes/severe hail scenarios
where knowledge is power, timing is everything and data drives decisions.
“We wanted to create a solution that enables solar developers to protect their assets from hail
damage ahead of a hail event, but to do that, we needed to build a system that allows us to
better predict, precisely quantify and validate hail, then aggregate all of that information into one
cloud solution for better visibility,” said Johan Jaques, KISTERS Chief Meteorologist and
HailSens360 solution owner.
Every year massive hailstorms cause hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of damage, such as
the hailstorm that hit a West Texas solar farm sending shockwaves through both the solar and
insurance industries. This watershed event along with other severe hail events has led to a
heightened interest and urgency in the development of new hail prediction, quantification, and
post event analysis technologies.
The technology behind HailSens360 greatly enhances the level of detail and precision
measured in real-time by the hail sensor, supports swift identification of severe hail damage,
while providing detailed analysis of potential microcracks which if left unattended, can lead to a
host of performance issues.
This new technology shares information in sufficient time, alerting solar farm managers to stow
solar assets in a safe position ahead of severe hail. The innovation also provides a more vivid
picture of hail impacts than ever before in terms of hailstone size, velocity, and distribution.
“The HailSens360 is a genuine breakthrough,” said Klaus Kisters, CEO. “Precise hailstone
measurement now combined with crucial forecast/nowcast data and post-event analysis will put
solar developers squarely in the driver’s seat of their solar assets and have insurers breathing a
little easier.”
About KISTERS
KISTERS is a privately owned, international environmental data, instrumentation and
information management organization founded in Germany. It specializes in the water, weather,
energy renewables and IT sectors, engineering data-driven and technology-led solutions.
