15 Mar Fire Ops South Africa on solar power risks

Solar panel fires are often caused by poor installation. Therefore, it’s important to choose a service provider who has the necessary experience and references.

Last year, South Africans imported solar panels worth about R17.5 billion. Nowadays, you can spot homes with solar panels on their roofs just as easily as you could spot homes with swimming pools in the past.

According to Fire Ops South Africa, there have been about 11 to 12 fires daily in the Gauteng central area alone over the past year. Of these fires, one in every six is related to solar panels.

Insurers have warned that your insurance claim could be rejected if your solar panels were not installed properly. Therefore, it’s important to choose a reputable service provider.

Find out what you can do with the solar panel safety checklist below:

1. Check whether the solar photovoltaic (PV) service provider has substantial experience and references and follow up on them.
2. Ask if the PV service provider designed, supplied, and installed the system, or whether it outsourced some of the work.
3. Ensure that your PV service provider is accredited with a third-party quality assurance programme such as PV GreenCard from the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association, or the P4 Platform programme.
4. Make sure that the installer applies to the municipality to authorise the system for grid connection to ensure the safety of the electrical network, your home, and all who work on the electrical grids.
5. Install a shut-off switch to disconnect the solar panels from your electrical system. This will not de-electrify the panels, but it can help firefighters manage a fire more easily in the event of an emergency.
6. Check the wiring. Damaged or improperly installed wiring can cause electrical faults, overheating, short circuits, and ultimately a fire.
7. Get a structural engineering assessment to ensure that your roof can withstand the weight and wind load of solar PV panels, where necessary.
8. Secure building plan approval if the panels protrude more than 600mm above the highest point of the roof, if they are raised more than 1.5m above any point on the roof, or if ground-mounted, the panels in their installed position project more than 2.1m above the natural or finished ground level.
9. Increase the distance between the roof and the solar panel modules by at least 6cm to 11cm to reduce the risk of a solar panel fire.
10. Use non-combustible plates between the solar panels and the roof.
11. Make sure that coupling connections are securely covered.
12. Have a qualified company carry out regular inspections and maintenance. The older your solar panels, the higher the risk of fire.
13. Ensure that electrical connections are made by the same manufacturer – both ends of a DC connection should be from the same manufacturer.
14. Give some consideration to the material you use for your roof as this can mitigate the spread of fires. Clay and concrete tiles are classified as non-combustible and would be safer choices.
15. Beware of installing too many solar panels and/or connecting too many electrical devices to your system, as an overload can cause overheating, which can lead to a fire.