Study Prods Possible Link Between Solar Panels, Building Fires

With the growing popularity of solar energy systems, concerns about fire risks have also risen. However, it is challenging to determine whether the solar panels were the cause of the fire and under what circumstances the fire started. Also, until 2023, building fires involving solar energy systems were not systematically recorded.

Newly published research led by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Institute for Public Safety (NIPV), and the Standardization Institute (NEN) have now mapped how many building fires between 2022 and 2023 have involved a solar energy system. Of 10,000 building fires during this period, 152 cases involved buildings equipped with solar energy systems (<2%). Of these 152 fires, 70 could be further investigated with the help of the Fire Investigation Teams of the safety regions.

The research shows that, in these 70 cases, the cause of the fire was almost as often related to the solar energy system as it was not: In 30 fires, it was established that the fire originated in the solar energy system. In 29 cases, it was known that the system was not the cause, and in 11 cases, the cause was unknown.

Experts from NIPV, NEN, and TNO emphasize that various developments will influence potential fire incidents in the coming years. For example, the first generation of solar panels is now reaching the end of their lifespan and may be less safe. Additionally, the enormous demand for solar energy systems has led to an increase in installation companies, some of which do not fully comply with standards.

This research is a first step towards establishing a knowledge base but contains limited data, and the study serves to provide a foundation for gaining more insight into building fires with solar energy systems. The work further supports the development of a test method for the impact of these systems on roofs.

Only fires where the fire department intervened and where information could be obtained through the Fire Investigation Teams of the safety regions were included. Additionally, it was not possible to use data from insurance companies. To gain better insight into the extent of fire risks, the organizations advocate for financial resources to better monitor and analyze fire incidents over the next four years.

The full report is available (in Dutch): https://publications.tno.nl/publication/34643368/Dnep02bh/TNO-2024-R11326.pdf.