Industrial insurer QBE has identified a sharp rise in fires linked to photovoltaic systems, based on inquiries made with UK fire services. According to the company, the number of fires increased by 133% between 2022 and 2025. During the same period, the number of installed photovoltaic systems grew by 52%.
Tobias Mehl, risk manager at QBE Germany, views the findings as a significant signal for other markets as well.
“Our experience shows that the cause often lies not in the solar modules themselves, but in faulty cable connections, connectors, or other electrical components,” he stated.
According to QBE’s analysis, UK fire services recorded a total of 212 fires linked to photovoltaic systems in 2025, up 133% from 91 fires in 2022. Of the cases recorded in 2025, 49 were attributed to issues with DC cabling and connectors. Solar modules were identified as the cause in 36 cases, battery storage systems in 23 cases, and inverters in 19 cases.
One of these four causes was identified in 127 of the 212 fires. The increasing age of many systems is also considered a significant factor, although QBE did not provide data on the statistical distribution of cases by system age.
Despite the worrying rise, the number of cases remains relatively low compared with the total installed base.
According to QBE, around 1.93 million photovoltaic systems were in operation in the UK in 2025. The figure had risen to just over 2 million by June 2026. Consequently, fires caused by photovoltaic components occurred in fewer than 0.07 per 1,000 systems.
Of the 2,025 recorded fires, 102 in 2025 (2024: 87) involved systems in the residential sector, 48 (2024: 33) commercial properties, 14 (2024: 6) industrial properties, and 14 (2024: 16) large-scale solar parks.
The insurer also views the rising number of lithium-ion battery storage systems paired with photovoltaic installations as a cause for “ongoing concern,” noting that firefighting operations in such cases are particularly challenging. According to QBE, the increasing prevalence of battery technology makes it a significant factor in fire statistics overall.
In May, the insurer presented a survey showing that UK fire services had tackled a total of 1,760 fires linked to lithium-ion batteries in 2025. These included 520 involving e-bikes, 279 involving electric cars, and 182 involving e-scooters.
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