Solar panels and snow?

You could be liable for anyone getting a stiff neck from a snow fall from your solar roof. Is your insurance up to it ? Suggest posting a sign at your entrance declaring a hard hat area.

The installer of the solar panels should have taken to account the weather conditions at your location. The solar panels should be slightly inclined so the snow will not cover the panels.

Usually solar panels also have a thin coating that makes dust, snow, or rain slip down their surfaces. Proper home surveys prior to installation can also help prevent shading of trees or other structures. Some make use of a heating system to melt the snow on their panels while some manually clear the snow from the panels. As for myself, I used a squeegee that's designed for the car windshield to rake off the snow off my solar panels.

I have seen solar panels guaranteed to withstand a one inch hail stones so I would think a snow rake would not be as hard on them as the hail. Who was the "they" that told you the snow rake could damage the panels? What did you do before the panels were on the roof? Did snow never pile up on it before the panels were installed? Hard to believe, but I suppose possible. I would think the panels would be slipperier than the roof and so less likely to hold snow, not more.

Many more negative experiences to follow.

How much output do they have when covered in snow?

Build Home Solar Power : http://solarpower.duebq.com/?KWH