Following a May incident in Gütersloh, Germany, where a firefighter was injured by electric shock during a blaze at a site with photovoltaic roof tiles, another fire broke out at a home fitted with solar tiles on June 9 in Kleve.
The fire affected a single-family home and required about 65 firefighters, who worked for nearly five hours to extinguish the fire. Initial reports of a balcony fire escalated after crews arrived and found the roof structure involved.
According to Kleve fire department spokesperson Florian Pose, the roof included integrated photovoltaic tiles and a green roof system, which complicated firefighting by making hotspots harder to detect and prolonging operations.
The fire remained confined to the roof, and the interior was not affected. All occupants evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported. The cause is still under investigation.
During the operation, firefighters partially dismantled the roof to reach hidden hotspots and fully extinguish the fire. The intervention lasted until about 7:00 p.m., after which the fire was out and the road was reopened.
One key challenge with integrated photovoltaic roofs is that the modules continue generating voltage when exposed to sunlight. “When the sun is shining, these modules are always energized,” said fire department spokesperson Florian Pose.
Unlike standard rooftop systems where panels are mounted above the roof, solar tiles are built into the structure itself. This makes access more difficult and complicates ventilation and firefighting tactics.
The Kleve fire came just weeks after a similar incident in Gütersloh, where a firefighter suffered an electric shock while dismantling photovoltaic roof tiles during a roof fire. The firefighter was treated in hospital and did not suffer serious injuries.
The Gütersloh case highlighted broader risks linked to building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), including persistent electrical generation during daylight, hard-to-access conductors, and the need to remove structural roof elements during firefighting.
While European fire services have developed protocols for photovoltaic systems, the growing use of integrated solar solutions is introducing new operational challenges.
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