Insurance company Zurich UK is urging the government to introduce a single accreditation scheme to counter the rise in the number of blazes related to solar panels, the Insurance Times reports.
At the beginning of November 2022, Zurich UK issued a warning to all homeowners who have been investing in solar panels to curb rising energy costs to check that installers belong to accredited schemes.
After a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, the insurance company discovered that there had been a 12% increase in the number of fires relating to solar fires in 2021 compared to 2020. This increased even further in 2022, with fire and rescue services attending an average of 10 solar panel fires every month – up from seven per month in 2021.
Zurich claims that the rise in the number of incidents is, in part, due to the rapid rise in gas and electricity bills. This has led to a significant increase in the number of panels being installed by homeowners – rising from 1,000 panels a week in July 2020 to the current estimate of 3,000 panels each week.
However, it has been found that the most common cause of solar panel fires is poor installation, which can result in homeowners having to pay out of their pocket to resolve. The data also indicates that errors in the installation of a solar panel can “leave rooftop systems more vulnerable to the UK’s increasingly extreme weather”.
Zurich adds that it has seen a growing number of claims for panels being torn off in high winds. The average cost of such repairs is £7,000, with overall solar panel claims costing around £8,000.
Gillian Perry – major loss manager for Zurich – said: “We’re seeing a small but growing number of claims for solar panels, the most worrying of which are electrical fires.
“While the vast majority of installers follow good practice, poorly or incorrectly fitted solar panels can increase the risk of blazes.”
The FOI data, which has been taken from 36 out of 45 fire authorities in England, shows “properties in Lancashire and Greater Manchester have suffered the joint highest number of fires (16) since 2020, followed by those in Dorset (14), Cambridge (13), and Kent (12).”
In particular, one serious blaze in 2020, which took place at a block of flats in Kent, left 30 people temporarily homeless and caused £1.5 million worth of damage.
“Solar panel fires are rare, but incidents are rising. Homeowners should check installers belong to a nationally accredited scheme, which shows they are competent and qualified,” added Perry.
“With more households and businesses installing rooftop solar to cut their energy bills, the government and industry should monitor whether the trend in fires grows or persists.”
Notably, Zurich adds that it is not just homeowners who are installing more solar panels, with such systems also being regularly installed in commercial and industrial settings too.
One of the key concerns that homeowners currently face is having to choose between the large number of accreditation schemes that currently exist. According to Citizens Advice, this is causing some confusion among consumers when searching for reputable installers.
Zurich agrees with Citizens Advice that government reform is needed to make it easier for people to identify trustworthy and reliable installers.
“Introducing a single accreditation body for green technologies [such as heat pumps, home insulation, and solar panels] would make it easier for people to find trusted installers and give consumers the confidence to invest in carbon-saving improvements to their home,” insisted Perry.
Zurich stresses the importance of solar panel systems meeting current design, installation, maintenance, and operational standards to control the possibility of any unexpected incidents occurring.
Additionally, the insurer is calling for solar panels to be fitted with accessible isolator switches. This will make it easier to cut off the power as “panels continue to generate power even when they are alight, fuelling blazes and making it harder and more hazardous for firefighters to extinguish”.