Fire Safety of Building Applied PV

As the global community increasingly embraces sustainable practices and endeavors to achieve net zero emissions, the utilization of photovoltaic (PV) systems and their associated infrastructure has become commonplace. Some reflections on this was given in an opinion piece a few years ago.

However, a challenge has emerged alongside this proliferation, namely to ensure that the fire risk associated with rooftop PV installations. In this edition of Burning Matters, the subject of PV-related fire safety will be discussed, drawing upon three significant incidents as catalysts for analysis. Furthermore, insights and perspectives shared by followers and colleagues on LinkedIn are included, thereby enriching the discussion.

• The first case under scrutiny pertains to the recent fire at a Lidl distribution center in Peterborough, UK. This incident was much larger in size than the PV fire incident on the rooftop of a Lidl store in Spain the previous year.

• The second case involves a fire on a rooftop in Heerenveen, wherein approximately 2000 PV panels were implicated (June 9, 2022).

• Lastly, the incident in Bristol in 2022, where the fire was triggered by a fault in the electrical system resulting from damage inflicted upon a solar panel by a bird.