Design, maintain, mitigate: Prepping renewable energy sites for catastrophes

Insureds in the renewable energy sector should ensure that the design, construction, and operation of their farms are optimized to minimize the risks associated with weather events. (Photo: Fotolia) 

The global energy transition to renewable sources is accelerating its pace. Sites are being built right across the globe, including outside the temperate zones, where the risk of high-impact weather events is greater. The severity and frequency of catastrophic weather events are also growing, with the geographic distribution of sites and climate change combining to increase the risk of catastrophic damage to new projects.

This is something all stakeholders must work on together to navigate successfully. With a growing number of solar and wind farms exposed to tropical cyclones and, therefore, wind and flood damage, it is vital to understand and prepare for these events to mitigate risk, particularly ahead of each Atlantic hurricane season. Crucially for our industry, insurers can play a key role in encouraging resilience at all stages of the process and therefore help to avoid future losses.