Stephen Barnfield, a Regulatory and Insurance Partner at Forbes Solicitors, looks at whether a maturing risk profile is required for solar panels in schools.
Progressive solar power
The education sector is embracing solar technology in a move to manage both costs and carbon emissions. In recent weeks, the Department for Education (DfE) announced that a new wave of schools and colleges across England are set to save £220 million on energy bills over the lifetime of solar panels. The aim is to free up money that would have otherwise be spent on energy, so that it can be reinvested in children’s education.
According to the DfE’s July 2026 update, 245 schools and colleges already have government-funded solar panels, and 100 more will now join the Great British Solar Partnership. A further 150 schools and colleges will also be embracing Photovoltaic (PV) technology through private sector support, with a pilot programme seeing installation and maintenance of panels at no upfront cost.
It’s clear there’s progressive adoption of PV technology throughout education, but as panels become an increasingly familiar sight on school roofs, is there a danger they are being treated as a ‘fit and forget’ technology? Recent reports suggest this is a real risk, and one that could impact insurance cover for buildings, contents and business / operational interruption, as well as employer, governors’ and trustees’, and public liability.
Fire safety risks
In June this year, the BBC reported that Suffolk County Council had taken the decision to switch off solar panels at about 80 schools across the county. This came after a fire at Sidegate School in Ipswich, which the local fire service confirmed as being caused by solar panels on the roof. Thankfully, there were no reports of anyone being injured by the fire.
It’s also believed that fires at two other Suffolk schools over the last year were linked to PV panels. And in 2025, Northumberland County Council switched off solar panels on 141 of its buildings following a fire at a school, as well as a community centre. Solar panel safety issues aren’t isolated to public sector owned and managed buildings, with PV panel fires also reported across domestic dwellings and commercial properties, including a rooftop fire at a supermarket’s regional distribution centre in Peterborough in 2024.
Solar panel fire risks seem to be more commonly associated with the age and maintenance of PV technology, which should prompt wider consideration about ongoing management. Local authorities, academy trusts, schools and colleges, and insurers must treat solar panels as critical infrastructure, supported by risk management and fire safety frameworks that account for the changing risk profile of PV systems over time.
Moving away from ‘fit and forget’
Solar technology is often perceived as a relatively straightforward system, with no moving parts and low upkeep. These solutions are often positioned as long-term investments that require little maintenance to generate affordable, clean energy. Internet searches even reveal benefits such as natural rainwater cleaning panels by washing away dust and dirt, or a panel installation only needing a quick check or wash a couple of times per year.
Once installed, solar panels can quietly generate electricity for years with little visible intervention, creating a risk that they are viewed as a ‘fit and forget’ technology. Strategies and programmes must avoid this approach.
PV systems are made up of a range of electrical components, including panels, wiring, inverters and connectors, and in some cases, battery storage systems. Each part represents a potential point of failure and like many products, are subject to the ‘bathtub curve’ of reliability. Failure rates can be typically higher during installation and commissioning, before falling (the downward part of the curve) to a relatively low level during normal operation, and then rising again (upward curve) as systems age and components begin to deteriorate.
Based on reported school fires, attention seems to be increasingly focusing on ageing solar installations. The PV panels at Sidegate Primary School were installed in 2012 and Suffolk County Council’s decision to switch off panels at about 80 schools applied to systems installed between 2011 and 2016. Components can become more susceptible to wear, deterioration and potential failure as they mature.
However, risks aren’t only age-related. Solar panel problems can also be caused by faults and damage and may not always provide visible warning signs until an issue becomes more significant.
Managing the risks
To effectively manage the risks and potential liabilities of PV systems, organisations should implement a structured risk management framework based on hazard identification, risk likelihood and impact evaluation, and monitoring and inspections. The framework should cover the entire lifecycle of the installation, from design, installation and commissioning, through to operation, maintenance and component replacement. By aligning inspections and performance reviews with the expected lifespan of key assets, organisations can identify any emerging issues early to ensure systems remain safe and operating as intended.
System inspections though, should not be limited solely to component lifespans. Risk management frameworks need to also account for external factors that could affect the condition and performance of PV systems over time. These may include weather exposure, storms and high winds, as well as accidental damage. For example, school and college settings may mean that solar panels are subjected to repeated impacts from footballs or other sports equipment. There is also a possibility of overhanging trees, falling branches and vegetation growth causing damage.
Wildlife should also be considered as part of risk assessments. Birds’ nesting activity could cause a buildup of twigs, leaves and features beneath panels and close to components, potentially restricting ventilation, concealing defects and increasing fire risks when overheating occurs. Risk management should be questioning: how frequently are systems inspected, and are procedures in place to assess installations following events such as storms or impacts from falling objects?
Detailed, formalised records should support risk management frameworks, with documentation covering asset registers, risk assessments, maintenance schedules, inspections and performance monitoring, incident reporting, and end-of-life planning. This information will provide an audit trail, demonstrating accountability and helping organisations more clearly determine fact, responsibilities and possible liabilities if a fire occurs. The management of formalised records also helps to keep PV systems front of mind, helping avoid the ‘fit and forget’ approach.
Consideration needs also to be given to how the inspections are to be carried out and who is going to conduct them. Will it be in-house or managed by contractors? In either case, the activity itself needs to be managed safely, as it will inevitably involve work at height and proximity to electrical systems.
As the education sector increasingly embraces PV technology, it’s important that systems are not treated as one-off capital investments. Mindsets must shift towards managing solar panels as critical infrastructure that requires ongoing oversight.
About Forbes Solicitors:
Forbes Solicitors is an award-winning law firm, with nine offices across England that look after the interests of clients nationwide.
The firm has 64 partners and an overall headcount of nearly 400, advising on a wide range of commercial and personal matters. Offering services to public sector organisations, commercial entities and consumers, Forbes specialises in providing legal expertise in practice areas including litigation, commercial law, intellectual property, corporate legal services, employment law, business immigration, HR consultancy, insurance, property litigation, commercial property, insolvency and debt recovery, and individual services.
Forbes holds the ISO9001 Quality Certification and in its recent assessment it was described as “exceptional”. The firm is ranked as a Legal 500 Top Tier Firm and a Chambers and Partners Leading Firm, receiving 90 nominations in the latest editions. Furthermore, a number of its professionals are included in the elite “Hall of Fame” list, “Leading Partners” list, the “Next Generation Lawyers” list, the ‘Leading Associates’ list, and 36 of Forbes’ solicitors are listed as recommended lawyers. Forbes is also a member of LawPact® – the international association of independent business law firms – which supports the expansion of its national and global reach.
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