The PV Fire Intelligence Network (PV-FIN) will be chaired by BRE and include a number of solar industry players and safety experts.
December 12, 2025
UK-based building consultant the Building Research Establishment (BRE) Group has launched a network to “analyse the fire safety of solar PV systems” to improve the safety performance of solar projects.
The PV Fire Intelligence Network (PV-FIN) will be chaired by BRE and include a number of solar industry players—including SolarEdge, Viridian Solar subsidiary ArcBox and Solar Energy UK—and safety experts, including the Fire Industry Association. The network will collaborate on three key areas: collecting data on solar fire incidents across sectors; analysing trends to find causes and patterns of fires caused by solar systems in the UK; and working with stakeholders, such as fire and rescue services and equipment manufacturers, to “fill current knowledge gaps”.
“Making solar PV systems safer is essential if we are to encourage their adoption and, ultimately, make the successful transition to clean energy,” said BRE principal consultant Raman Chagger. “We do not know the extent to which fires occur within solar PV systems and how this could have a potential knock-on effect on UK solar deployment.”
According to insurer QBE, fire has become an increasingly significant risk in the UK solar sector. Between 2022 and 2024, the number of fire incidents involving a solar panel faced by fire services increased from 107 to 171. While this is small growth compared to the more than 300,000 new solar panels added between these years, according to government figures, the 59.8% growth in fire incidents between 2022 and 2024 is a cause for concern.
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Earlier this year, a fire broke out at the 23MW Cirencester Hybrid Solar Farm, which is co-located with a 51MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), which was attributed to the start of a fire at an electrical installation at the project.
Meanwhile in Australia, the 425MW Wellington North solar project saw 10% of its output suspended following a fire. While this incident has been attributed to a combination of high temperatures and strong winds, rather than a fault at the solar project itself, the presence of fire at one of Australia’s largest solar projects is an example of the fire risks posed by new industrial developments.
While fire safety has not historically been a major concern for the global solar industry, it has proven a risk for BESS developers and asset managers. Earlier this year, a fire broke out at an under-construction BESS project in Essex, which was contained within 24 hours, and the global battery sector has long invested in robust fire safety protocols and processes to limit the impacts of fire at BESS projects.
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In November, Chinese firm Sungrow became the first to test its batteries through the UL9540B Large-Scale Fire Testing (LSFT) procedure, and considering the increasing prevalence of co-located solar and storage projects in the UK, the more fire safety work completed in the battery sector could help set a precedent for the solar industry.
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JP Casey
Section Editor, Informa
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