The Rise Of Solar Fires Sound A Cautionary Note

A recent study by Firetrace International, a global provider of fire suppression technology, has indicated that solar farm fires are seeing a sharp rise.

The report, titled, “Hidden Danger – why solar farm fire risk could be greater than you think,” shares that the industry could possibly be misjudging the threat of fire. It has further urged industry to taken note of it and address the issue at the soonest.

The Dramatic Rise In Solar Fires

The cumulative installed PV capacity rocketed by approximately one quarter last year. Unfortunately, the number of fires increased more quickly than growth of installations in some markets.

The statistics, as revealed by Australian PV Institute, indicate that between 2018 and 2020, PV installations increased less than three-fold, the data from Fire and Rescue New South Wales (NSW), however, shows that the number of solar fires attended by firefighters in the same period increased six-fold.

The report also takes into consideration a study by UK’s BRE National Solar Centre –entitled ‘Fire and Solar PV Systems – Investigations and Evidence’. The study provides a detailed investigation into a total of 80 potential PV-related fire incidents that led to the conclusion that researchers “strongly suspected a degree of under-reporting, especially amongst solar farms and domestic thermal events that were resolved by a solar installer/maintenance engineer”. It further explores how this lack of transparency could prevent the industry from establishing an accurate baseline to continuously improve best practice.

Reasons Behind Photovoltaic Fires

The report takes into account the data available on solar farm fires and aims to provide valuable information for owners and operators on the primary risk factors and the actions that could be taken to curb such incidents.
The report goes on to establish three root causes for photovoltaic fires, namely, error in the design system, a faulty product/s and poor installation practice.

As per the report, the photovoltaic component presenting the greatest fire risk are DC isolators. These are responsible for a third of solar fire incidents. That said, DC connectors and inverters can also present major risks.

The study presents various steps to minimize the risk of fire at solar farms, these include regular testing by independent third parties, incorporating additional safety components, such as fire suppression technology, and ensuring quick replacement of defective parts.

Ross Paznokas, Global Business Development Manager – Clean Energy, Firetrace International, says, “With the number of PV installations dramatically increasing around the world, taking these steps will be vital in reducing fire risk, which is why we launched our best-in-class fire suppression technology into the solar industry earlier this year. We’re drawing on our experience in the wind industry, where the technology has already been installed more than 23,000 times in turbines across the world, and are working hard to support the solar industry in understanding the causes of solar farm fires, and gaining confidence to share this data so that we can learn from fire events and establish best-practice.”