Climate ugliness solar power

More than 200 homes damaged by solar panel fires in a year

1 day ago

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85 Comments

From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

By Paul Homewood

h/t Ian Magness

From the Telegraph:

Safety concerns mount as increasing numbers of homes have devices installed

Faulty solar panels triggered 212 rooftop fires last year, new figures show, raising concerns about the technology’s expansion across the UK.

A leading insurer has found that fires involving solar panels were up 37pc in 2025, damaging 102 homes as well as other hospitals, schools and retailers.

QBE, the commercial property insurer behind the research, found that fires were most often caused by faulty installations with substandard fittings and poor connections.

Adrian Simmonds, the risk manager at QBE, also warned that the rate of fires was rising at more than double the rate of installations.

Solar panel installations rose by 52pc between 2022 and 2025, compared with an increase of 133pc in solar panel fires over the same three-year period.

“Poor cabling and connectors are the leading cause, with fires often spreading to the wider building,” said Mr Simmonds.

“It is clear installation quality and fire safety are not keeping pace with the speed of deployment. Safe solar panel installation and maintenance are essential to reducing the number of fires.”

The findings raise fresh concerns over Ed Miliband’s rapid net zero expansion in recent years, as the former energy secretary pushed for a fourfold increase in solar output by 2035.

Safety concerns mount as increasing numbers of homes have devices installed

Faulty solar panels triggered 212 rooftop fires last year, new figures show, raising concerns about the technology’s expansion across the UK.

A leading insurer has found that fires involving solar panels were up 37pc in 2025, damaging 102 homes as well as other hospitals, schools and retailers.

QBE, the commercial property insurer behind the research, found that fires were most often caused by faulty installations with substandard fittings and poor connections.

Adrian Simmonds, the risk manager at QBE, also warned that the rate of fires was rising at more than double the rate of installations.

Full story here.

4.8 8 votes

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85 Comments

Neil Pryke

August 11, 2026 2:16 am

When the physics start to work against the system…Don’t blame the physics…it’s time to change the system…

Jeff Alberts

Reply to Neil Pryke

August 11, 2026 6:04 am

Who do we blame for you bolding all your comments?

Bryan A

Reply to Jeff Alberts

August 11, 2026 6:20 am

No-one… It’s a Bold move

Jeff Alberts

Reply to Bryan A

August 11, 2026 9:14 pm

It’s a narcissistic move.

Redge

Reply to Jeff Alberts

August 11, 2026 7:30 am

Well said Jeff. I’ve asked Neil politely several times to stop, but he continues.

I’ve stopped reading comments by people who bold everything – it’s usually the people with nothing of substance to say

Eng_Ian

Reply to Jeff Alberts

August 11, 2026 2:35 pm

He’s stuck in crayon mode. Give him a break. His therapist says that, with a little luck, he’ll soon progresses to finger painting.

strativarius

August 11, 2026 2:32 am

It isn’t just housing.

Solar panels have been blamed for a number of high-profile fires.

Last week, fire investigators said a blaze on the site of Malton, Norton & District Hospital in North Yorkshire “most likely” started at one of the building’s rooftop solar panels. – BBC

A blaze that forced the evacuation of pregnant women and babies from a maternity hospital [in Bristol] began in solar panels on the roof, firefighters have confirmed. – BBC

Solar panels are being switched off at about 80 schools in Suffolk as a “precautionary measure” following a fire.
Suffolk County Council announced the move after a fire at Sidegate Primary School, in Ipswich, on Wednesday. – BBC

More than 80 firefighters tackled a devastating school blaze believed to have been sparked by solar panels.
Emergency crews rushed to St Martins School near Oswestry, Shropshire, after flames erupted at approximately 5.25pm on Sunday – Yahoo News

As they say, it’s [a lot] worse than you thought.

Sean2828

Reply to strativarius

August 11, 2026 3:25 am

I’ve been very surprised the Lineage Logistics refrigerated warehouse fire in Boyle Heights California on June 17, 2026 has not gotten coverage in WUWT. It already has a Wikipedia page devoted to it due to the scale of fire, the cascading nature of it and the problem it left of getting rid of 85 million pounds of rotting food. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Boyle_Heights_warehouse_fire

Sean2828

Reply to Sean2828

August 11, 2026 3:54 am

I forgot to mention, it was started by solar panels catching fire on the roof.

stevekj

Reply to Sean2828

August 11, 2026 7:00 am

The Wikipedia article also conveniently “forgot” to mention that!

Curious George

Reply to Sean2828

August 11, 2026 11:48 am

The only mention of solar in the wikipedia page is “The solar panels on the roof and the collapse of roof structure made fighting the fire difficult.”

Bryan A

Reply to strativarius

August 11, 2026 5:33 am

In 2017 in Sonoma County, solar panels caused a fire that destroyed 3000 homes in Santa Rosa, Ca and more than 5600 total structures across Sonoma and Napa counties. The Tubes Fire was caused by arcing solar panels in a field. I guess you really Don’t want to have vegetation growing beneath your field arrays.

Sparta Nova 4

Reply to Bryan A

August 11, 2026 8:27 am

But, but, but, “scientists say” we can grow food crops under solar panel farms.

stevejones

Reply to Bryan A

August 11, 2026 8:45 am

Presumably allegedly caused by arcing CABLES under solar panels, which should be kept away from vegetation, and should have been immediately obvious to whatever system was running with the solar panels, i.e. a sudden output drop from one string, when all the other strings were working. Has there been any investigation into how the alleged ‘arcing’ occurred? Solar panel cable connectors cannot separate on their own, they are very difficult to separate even when you want to! I have to put two tiny screwdrivers into the catches on mine to separate them.

-2

Peter K

Reply to stevejones

August 12, 2026 1:25 am

There are kinds of MC4 which you can simply push by fingers and they will unlock. I had also few where this lock was not working at all. Give it some wind jerking and they will come out by themself.

stevejones

Reply to strativarius

August 11, 2026 8:43 am

Except that solar panels can’t catch fire, they are made of glass, silicon and metal.

-7

Sean2828

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 12:28 pm

But the power from them are capable of starting fires.

Bryan A

Reply to Sean2828

August 11, 2026 5:15 pm

Flammable Materials in Panels

Plastic Back Sheets: Polymers on the rear seal the panel, but can burn during a severe external or electrical fire.
Cable Insulation: Plastic and rubber coatings on DC wires can melt or ignite from high current or loose connections.
Junction Boxes: Plastic casing and internal sealants house electrical connectors on the back of the module.

Electrical Fire Causes

DC Arcing: Loose or mismatched plugs create sparks that ignite nearby plastic parts.
Undersized Wires: Thin cables overheat under high electrical loads and melt their insulation.
Faulty Inverters: Equipment failure outside the panel generates extreme heat or sparks.

bnice2000

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 2:10 pm

Oh really ??

Bryan A

Reply to bnice2000

August 11, 2026 5:17 pm

Some like it hot. Solar Panels Don’t! Heat affects they’re ability to transfer photons into usable electricity with warmer days producing lower capacity factors. In a warming world solar panels are far less.effective!

Eng_Ian

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 2:37 pm

Some still have a plastic backing sheet, (that white layer on the back).

Crisp

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 9:10 pm

You mean like the Grenfell Tower disaster? Are you serious?

MrGrimNasty

August 11, 2026 2:50 am

In 2025 UK national statistics there were also 432 e-bike fires and 147 e-scooter fires. In the last few years e-bike fires have been going up by over 100 per year, e-scooter fires have been increasing year on year but modestly. There would have been hundreds more that weren’t recorded.

With plug in solar and plug in battery storage coming, things are going to get crispy. I suspect insurers will cotton on and demand declaration of such devices and increase premiums, further eroding the already pathetic savings.

strativarius

Reply to MrGrimNasty

August 11, 2026 2:52 am

Crispy?

MrGrimNasty

Reply to strativarius

August 11, 2026 3:17 am

Looks like a dead end.

strativarius

Reply to MrGrimNasty

August 11, 2026 3:27 am

Eating ‘stuff’ like McDonalds probably is. The gastronomical decline started in Woolwich in 1977….

But, they’re lovin’ it.

Scissor

Reply to MrGrimNasty

August 11, 2026 5:25 am

Last stop on the Crematorium Cruiser or Toast Express EV bus line.

Bryan A

Reply to MrGrimNasty

August 11, 2026 5:34 am

I’m burnin’, I’m burnin’, I’m burnin’ for you

George Thompson

Reply to MrGrimNasty

August 11, 2026 7:31 am

OUCH!

Mike Larkin

Reply to MrGrimNasty

August 11, 2026 3:10 am

It has long been a fact that if you want the real numbers about just about anything, ask the insurance industry.

They’re making bets that they don’t want to have to pay out, and they don’t want to make bets they will have to pay out.

So they gather and analys data like nobody’s business and turn their actuaries lose on it.

Mr.

Reply to Mike Larkin

August 11, 2026 5:33 am

and with A.I. investigative tools now, they’ll be able to churn out statistics & risk profiles like there’s no tomorrow too.

Eng_Ian

Reply to Mr.

August 11, 2026 2:40 pm

There’s the problem. AI is tuned by the left leaning websites that it reads, so from now on if your house does not have solar panels you are causing the oceans to boil and now the ships can’t sail.

The solar panels will have to be driven over roads instead of shipped. Hawaii needs that bridge more than ever.

Damn AI.

Mr.

Reply to Eng_Ian

August 11, 2026 8:56 pm

Yeah the free versions of AI will just give a scrape of Google or Wikipedia, but the paid subscription ones can be awesome in what they can dig up and analyse.

I was a skeptic, but as always – you get what you pay for.

Gunga Din

Reply to Mike Larkin

August 11, 2026 11:22 am

I remember seeing an episode of a program (The History Channel (before it went looking for Bigfoot)? The Learning Channel?) about the Bermuda Triangle.
It showed that a triangle of the same size placed over over areas had about the same number of “mysterious” events.
But the clincher was that Lloyds of London, famous for insuring shipping and cargo, did not charge a premium for ships passing through the Bermuda Triangle.
(Nothing to see here. Sail along, sail along.) 😎

Eng_Ian

Reply to Gunga Din

August 11, 2026 2:42 pm

I wonder what the insurance cover is for sailing near Iran.

Petey Bird

Reply to MrGrimNasty

August 11, 2026 7:42 am

In Canada in 2020 bicycle death statistics were reported by transport and stats Can. Now they are a secret and the available data is ten years old.
I wonder why.

Mr.

Reply to Petey Bird

August 11, 2026 9:24 am

In 2020 all deaths were attributed to COVID?

Walbrook

August 11, 2026 4:03 am

What about home batteries?
Here in Australia the government is subsidizing solar panel and home battery installation, how long before faults begin to occur with these battery management systems?
How many installations are done by fly by night dodgy brothers installers with el-cheapo batteries?

bnice2000

Reply to Walbrook

August 11, 2026 4:41 am

I vaguely remember a major issue in NSW with pink insulation batts ages ago..

Eng_Ian

Reply to Walbrook

August 11, 2026 2:51 pm

The government have a plan.

Only batteries which meet the standards, (UL listed typically), can qualify for the grant.

The only problem with this approach is that they can be installed by anyone suitably qualified and will be inspected at random, much less than 100%. So errors will be made with regard to the wiring even if the battery is sound.

As a point to note, the solar panel fires are often caused by the conductors and cable connectors being inadequate or incorrect. Something that a good inspection service SHOULD find.

Then again, in OZ there is a plethora of inspection services that have been placed in the hands of private certifiers. An example is the domestic building industry and the use of private building surveyors. There is now an industry of inspectors who audit the builders to ensure that the buildings are compliant. Sadly the industry has some shocking examples of where the builder and the private surveyor are next to useless and some real poor building work is signed off. Have a look at this YouTube channel for a couple of examples of dodgy work. Long videos but the message is sound.

Bob B.

August 11, 2026 5:07 am

I don’t know but I’m guessing that the increase in UK temps due to solar panel fires exceeds the supposed decrease in temps solar panels are expected to achieve.

Sparta Nova 4

Reply to Bob B.

August 11, 2026 8:29 am

D not mention the CO2 emitted by these fires.
Seems now Net Zero includes Net Zero houses.

bnice2000

Reply to Sparta Nova 4

August 11, 2026 6:18 pm

Who cares about the CO2..

… its all the toxic gases that are released at the same time, that are the real problem..

varg

August 11, 2026 5:21 am

I can imagine that having the panels mounted too close to your roof might contribute to the fires as well. Not enough airflow to cool the panels backside…especially if there are multiple rows mounted back to back and no spacing in between.

Well I know first hand how my panels heat up, they’re supposed to give me shade but despite being 3m above my head I can sense the heat they radiate. So shade yes, cool no…but still better than having the sun blasting my porch for most part of the day 🤪

stevejones

Reply to varg

August 11, 2026 8:47 am

Just no… Do you actually believe any of this nonsense? You actually believe that GLASS, SILICON and ALUMINIUM is somehow catching fire because of a lack of airflow behind solar panels? Next you’ll be telling us that clay or concrete roof TILES are catching fire too. The fact that NONE of you on here are saying “Solar panels can’t catch fire because the stuff they are made of DOESN’T BURN” says a lot. Global warming is a scam, but that doesn’t make any of this nonsense true.

-9

Erik Magnuson

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 8:56 am

IIRC, the wires carrying power from the solar panels have organic (as in carbon based) insulation. The power carried by these cables are a potential ignition source.

Peter K

Reply to Erik Magnuson

August 12, 2026 1:33 am

Standard solar cables have silicone insulation, not carbon based and it is capable to withstand really high temperatures.

Eng_Ian

Reply to Peter K

August 12, 2026 3:28 am

My cables are not silicone rubber. Most cables are XLPE or PVC/PVC. Then again, this is Oz, maybe the rest of the world has moved on.

For example
https://prestonoffgrid.com.au/product/dc-power-cable-4mm%C2%B2/?attribute_pa_cable-colour=black-and-red&attribute_pa_cable-length=1m

varg

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 11:08 am

Well how about tar shingles hmm?? Have also in mind that birds like to build their nests undeneath the PV modules. The closer you mount them to your roof the more attractive you make it for them. And I do not believe that their nesting material is made from asbestos.

Well since I can see the underbelly of my old PV modules and observe the one or the other charred hotspot that burned through the multiple layers the PV modules consist I rest my case.

Mere caution due to observation, but why explain it to someone who calls my point of view “nonsense”?

Looking at the electrical aspect, since modern inverters run on several 100V DC input voltage and old ones like mine barely scratches 70V…the root cause of the problem is the old formula R = V : A and the PV modules connected in series.

Faulty connection at some point of the string means: high resistance, high voltage, high current, high temperature. Add to that the additional heat the panels radiate at some point something gets hot enough so it catches fire or better said ignites something else combustible…certainly not a clay tile sarc.

an old electrician has spoken

stevejones

Reply to varg

August 11, 2026 2:09 pm

What “additional heat” are the panels radiating? Are you suggesting it’s ever hot enough to ignite anything? Seriously?
Tar shingles are a stupid way to build a roof. Sorry Americans, but they are.
The number of videos I’ve watched of Americans fixing shingled roofs, a nightmare waiting to happen.
You can buy bird guards to fit around roof mounted solar panels, to prevent birds from getting behind them.
Clay and concrete tiles can’t burn.
SOLAR PANELS CAN’T BURN either.
So the original article is factually incorrect, at its most basic level.
And as I said – nobody on here is saying that solar panels cannot catch on fire. Because you all think “Solar panels are bad, therefore they must catch on fire, because that’s another reason to hate them.”

-3

Eng_Ian

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 3:01 pm

Steve,
If you build a roof out of tar shingles and expose it directly to the sun you also expose it directly to a cooling air flow.

If that same roof is under a solar panel and the energy emitted by the back of the panel is say 50% of the incoming energy, then it will still get hot but now there is much less cooling air flow. Add a few leaves and bird nests and you have a perfectly good fuel with a drying environment. Fires are an obvious outcome.

In Oz the roof is usually metal cladding or concrete tiles, so fires SHOULD be very rare. With a little extra care, like applying a mesh around the panels so that they do not get nests or leaf build up should make the panels safer. But this is NOT the standard in Oz, it might be in the UK or elsewhere.

I personally like the idea of having the panels more elevated from the roof, this also allows the panels to be better aligned with the elevation of the Sun in winter. The cost however stops this from happening unless you pay extra for it, usually in the form of a free standing solar collector array. The standard remains, with the panels just strapped flat to the roof angle.

The cables and the connector faults are not addressed by any of the above, excepting that the fire that may result has less fuel to consume if the leaves and nests are excluded. I’d still call that a win.

And as a final point, the glass and the silicon probably aren’t going to add much to the fire but aluminium can burn in the right conditions. But I wouldn’t be betting on that either. As noted by others, look at the cables and as I pointed out above, look at the other items/debris on the roof for fuel.

MarkW

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 7:00 pm

So instead of admitting you were wrong, you are going to double down and just declare those who don’t do things the way you want them done, are just plain stupid.

paul courtney

Reply to MarkW

August 12, 2026 4:29 am

Mr. W: Yes, Mr. jones’ first comment showed his ignorance, and it went downhill from there! The trolls here do more damage to their cause than I can.

MarkW

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 6:59 pm

You really believe those are the only materials used to build solar panels?
Have you ever actually worked with some?
Beyond that, arcing cables can and do catch things in the vicinity on fire.

Crisp

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 9:14 pm

Look up Grenfell Tower, you goose.

PHerb

August 11, 2026 6:00 am

A request WUWT: Put “(in the UK)” in the headline where appropriate (and, similarly, next time for your email note). I saw that, thought US (where I am) or global, and, well, that’s about par, isn’t it? But, in the UK, with a smaller install base, that is a bigger proportion. For that matter, how many rooftop installations are there in Britain plus NI? Here in the US, rooftop solar installations include a lot of fraudsters; most home-owners are well-aware of the grift. I don’t get many such door-knockers because the tall trees in my (south-side) backyard would make solar less effective; fraudsters are better advised to go after unobstructed houses (“Look, you have a clear view of the sun from every part of your roof”). Honestly, I don’t get the push for solar in the UK and most of Europe, north of Iberia. It makes more sense in the US and more equatorial climes where the sun hits at lower angles of incidence. On the other hand, the power companies are ambivalent because of feedback of excess into the grid, if provided for, is harder to manage, requires more infrastructure, and provides one more point of failure if installation is defective, while reducing demand for their own solar and wind. I’m seeing fewer installations in the new subdivisions as incentives expire; local fire departments are ambivalent — less demand.

Jeff Alberts

August 11, 2026 6:08 am

Have any installers been sued for these faulty installations?

George Thompson

Reply to Jeff Alberts

August 11, 2026 7:35 am

Gotta prove it first, then watch the grifters declare bankruptcy and boogy out of town with the money. Only the stupid ones stay to face the music.

Jeff Alberts

Reply to George Thompson

August 11, 2026 9:16 pm

Presumably the fire inspector could prove it.

George Thompson

Reply to Jeff Alberts

August 12, 2026 4:17 am

Irrelevant-the grifters are gone and you assume the inspector would do due dilligence on the smoking crater…I wouldn’t make book on it. “Cause unknown”…next!

karlomonte

August 11, 2026 6:11 am

“Solar panels” as used here in the common vernacular means the entire PV system: modules, wiring, electronics.

“Poor cabling and connectors are the leading cause, with fires often spreading to the wider building,” said Mr Simmonds.

This can be traced back to the PV system designer/integrator, who have the responsibility to meet the required electrical safety standards (National Electric Code in the USA).

A common problem with residential systems is shading, which can easily cause hot spots in PV modules and start fires. I have seen many PV system designers ignore shading, wanting to sell as many installations as possible.

Another problem is bad grounding that can cause direct current electrical arcs and then fires.

Petey Bird

Reply to karlomonte

August 11, 2026 7:57 am

I don’t have direct knowledge of the faults in question. I can say that most residential wiring is not ever fully loaded and that which is is not usually loaded for more than a half hour.
Solar panels putting out high output for four hours in the summer might be showing up poor workmanship that does not usually cause problems for residential electricians. Like poorly tightened connections.

Sparta Nova 4

Reply to karlomonte

August 11, 2026 8:31 am

Except in UK one can buy those puppies, transport, and self-install.

karlomonte

Reply to Sparta Nova 4

August 11, 2026 11:21 am

That’s crazy, man!

stevejones

Reply to karlomonte

August 11, 2026 8:49 am

““Solar panels” as used here in the common vernacular means the entire PV system: modules, wiring, electronics.” No, it doesn’t. It means “solar panels”. Wiring is something else. Inverters are something else. Batteries are something else. Otherwise we might as well just give up, because anything can mean anything. Ludicrous.

-4

karlomonte

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 11:40 am

whatever

Bryan A

Reply to karlomonte

August 11, 2026 1:03 pm

An obvious Pedantist

stevejones

Reply to Bryan A

August 11, 2026 2:11 pm

No, but saying ““Solar panels” as used here in the common vernacular means the entire PV system: modules, wiring, electronics.” is obviously ridiculous. The article clearly states in the title “More than 200 homes damaged by solar panel fires in a year.” Solar panels cannot burn. You can have “solar installation” fires. Not solar panel fires.

-3

Bryan A

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 5:19 pm

Obvious!
When people refer to Solar Installations they refer to them as Solar Panels not meaning strictly or only panels but the entire system.
Not Solar Panel Inverter Fires.
Not Solar Panel Wiring Fires.
Not Solar Panel Junction Box Fires.
Not Solar Panel Connector Fires.
.
Just the catchall Solar Panel Fires.

Bryan A

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 1:02 pm

And who installs a Solar Panel without the appropriate accoutrement?
Will the panel alone produce anything useful without the appropriate connections, inverters and wires? Is there anyone who installs panels alone?

Bryan A

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 1:04 pm

Anything can mean anything? Do you mean like a Boy being a Girl or vice versa?
Or a Human being a Furry?

MarkW

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 7:03 pm

Not only do you know better than those who work with the things, what they are made of.
You are the sole expert on how they are called.

What next?

Eng_Ian

Reply to karlomonte

August 11, 2026 3:17 pm

The problem with shading occurs when the installer has placed several strings of panels on the roof WITHOUT the required blocking diodes in EACH string AND joins the strings together at the inverter inputs.

The fault occurs when say TWO strings out of THREE are operating in full sun and one is partly shaded. The illuminated strings are delivering their full rated voltage and the shaded unit is delivering less. The result is that current flows from the two illuminated panels INTO the shaded panel and the current in the shaded panel exceeds the current carrying capacity of the panel.

This can all be prevented by installing a diode in each string BEFORE connecting any together. The diode prevents the current from the illuminated panels from going back into the lower voltage string.

MOST current standards for solar panel installation include this requirement. In Oz the requirement is applied ONLY when more than two strings are used AND they are joined together. The reason for more than two and not all is that with two strings, the worst that can happen is that one illuminated string can only cause one times the current value to be pumped into the shaded string, (since it is counter flow, the resultant current in the shaded string is going to be less than one times it’s capability).

Now the clanger. This rule change was brought in AFTER a lot of solar installation fires were detected and was not required to be applied to existing installations, only new ones.

So, if you have more than two strings of solar panels on your roof, make sure that they are not connected together without FUNCTIONING diodes in series. And of course, there is no annual check of these diodes. Maybe that’s a problem for later.

karlomonte

Reply to Eng_Ian

August 11, 2026 4:56 pm

Now the clanger. This rule change was brought in AFTER a lot of solar installation fires were detected and was not required to be applied to existing installations, only new ones.

Things like this are exactly how the US National Electric Code for PV systems evolved, trying to prevent problems that had happened to existing systems.

stevejones

August 11, 2026 8:42 am

Solar panels are made of glass and metal. They can’t catch fire. Simple fact. You aren’t helping your cause by promoting obviously false statements. I have 12kW of solar panels. You couldn’t set fire to them even with a blowtorch. For a solar panel cable to catch fire and then catch something else on fire, it would have to be touching something flammable. Roof mounted solar panels are mounted on tiles (at least, in the U.K.) and they are the least flammable thing you can imagine. So these sound like electrical fires caused by poor connections on cables in lofts, most of the time. This happens with conventional household electrical cables too, it’s not new. It’s nothing ‘wrong’ with solar panel technology.

-4

paul courtney

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 9:21 am

Mr. jones: Thanks for telling us the solar industry propaganda to come- “solar panels can’t burn, don’t believe your lying eyes!” You say there are no solar panel fires, only to give us your best guess as to the cause of the fires. This tells me you posted without doing the least bit of research. You seem to know how to hurt your cause.

karlomonte

Reply to paul courtney

August 11, 2026 11:30 am

And he’s completely wrong, internal arcs inside modules can propagate along bus interconnections, burning the encapsulation.

varg

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 11:16 am

You forget the multiple layers of transparent insulating plastic foils and the resin that glues all together…well a bit of a superficial ignorant you are, sorry that I call you that.

You sound to me almost like a salesman of that virtue signalling crap, blaiming others for the shortcomings of your shitty product.

Gunga Din

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 11:37 am

In many house/building fires the firemen responding need to chop through the roof to prevent the buildup of volatile gases from causing even more problems when a door is opened (allowing oxygen in) near an ignition source. (I think it’s called flashback or flashover?)
When they need to do that, how do they turn off the solar panels on that roof? They can throw the main breaker to the house but that doesn’t keep the solar panel from producing a charge on the roof where people and water are.
Do they need to wait till the Sun goes down before they can vent the roof?

Tony_G

Reply to Gunga Din

August 11, 2026 2:24 pm

You’re thinking of backdraft. Venting is used to help control the fire, to give it a known place to go (it will go toward the vent). Solar panels basically make it impossible. We can’t know for sure if they are or are not energized, even if the main breaker is thrown or the meter is removed.
A lot of “green” technology makes firefighting more difficult and more dangerous (EV’s being another example)

Gunga Din

Reply to stevejones

August 11, 2026 11:52 am

Strike iron on flint makes a spark which can cause a fire. That’s how lighters work. Neither the flint or the iron burns. Are lighters safe enough for kids to play with?

trafamadore

August 11, 2026 6:43 pm

Home electrical fires account for an estimated 51,000 fires each year, nearly than 500 deaths, more than 1,400 injuries, and $1.3 billion in property damage.
So maybe solar panels are not a major problem after all…

-3

Mr.

Reply to trafamadore

August 11, 2026 9:00 pm

Just adding to the carnage, like “green” e-bikes & e-scooters li-ion batteries spontaneously exploding inside peoples’ houses in the middle of the night.

Jeff Alberts

Reply to trafamadore

August 11, 2026 9:20 pm

So that means it’s A-OK to add another potential ignition source.

Derg

Reply to trafamadore

August 12, 2026 2:38 am

Caused by????

Climate change 😉

wpDiscuz

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