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A number of fires are currently under investigation in France
A recent fire that broke out in Normandy has again raised the issue of solar panel safety, with an investigation still underway to determine the cause of the fire.
The house that caught fire, in Villerville, (Calvados), had 12 solar panels on its roof. Although the fire brigade arrived promptly, the fire was difficult to control resulting in the house being destroyed. “They kept hosing it down, it just kept burning. It was endless,” a family member told Franceinfo.
Although the cause of the fire is as yet unknown it would not be the first time solar panels have caught fire in France if this was a factor.
Last summer, a school in the Gers region was partly destroyed due to a fire that broke out on its roof, with around 100 photovoltaic panels going up in smoke.
Firefighters had also indicated at the time that solar panels were present in similar incidents and may be associated with such fires, although the exact causes remain under investigation.
“We have already had several incidents involving photovoltaic panels, particularly on agricultural sheds,” the SDIS 32 firefighter group said.
In April, a daycare roof with solar panels also caught fire in Saint-Julien-Puy-Lavèze in the Puy-de-Dôme.
According to firefighters, when water is sprayed on solar panels it usually runs off making it difficult to reach the hot spots.
Although the number of reported incidents may appear to be increasing, this is partly due to the rapid growth in the number of solar installations across France.
Fires are extremely rare on photovoltaic panels, rather it is the supporting infrastructure which could be at fault according to French solar energy systems supplier, Allo.solar.
A lack of waterproofing, improper installation (defects during the initial installation), or an electrical malfunction (defects or ageing of the electrical installation such as melted cables, short circuits, etc) can cause a fire.
A lightning strike can also lead to a power surge and consequently cause damage to them.
Overheating can also occur in the roof structure. Solar panels can reach very high temperatures (50C–80C) during operation. If the installation was done incorrectly, it is possible for a wooden roof structure to overheat and catch fire.
However photovoltaic systems are subject to installation standards and certification requirements, with regular maintenance by qualified professionals recommended to reduce risks.
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