Newly published research results Led by the Dutch Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the Institute for Public Safety (NIPV) and the Standardization Institute (NEN), it has now been determined how many building fires affected a solar system between 2022 and 2023. Of the 10,000 building fires during this period, 152 affected buildings that were equipped with solar systems (Of these 152 fires, 70 were able to be further investigated with the help of the fire investigation teams from the safety regions.
The investigation shows that in these 70 cases the cause of the fire was almost as often related to the solar system as not: in 30 fires it was determined that the fire started from the solar system. In 29 cases it was known that the system was not the cause, in 11 cases the cause was unknown.
Experts from NIPV, NEN and TNO emphasize that various developments will influence potential fire events in the coming years. For example, the first generation of solar panels are now reaching the end of their life and may be less safe. In addition, the enormous demand for solar systems has led to an increase in installation companies, some of which do not fully comply with the standards.
This research is a first step toward building a knowledge base, but contains limited data. The study serves to create a basis for gaining further knowledge about building fires with solar energy systems. The work also supports the development of a testing method for the impact of these systems on roofs.
Only fires in which the fire brigade intervened and information could be obtained from the fire investigation teams of the safety regions were taken into account. In addition, it was not possible to use data from insurance companies. To gain greater insight into the extent of fire risks, the organizations are advocating for funding to better monitor and analyze fire events over the next four years.
The full report is available (in Dutch): https://publications.tno.nl/publication/34643368/Dnep02bh/TNO-2024-R11326.pdf.
