Latest incident reinforces calls for solar safety

Latest incident reinforces calls for solar safety

As electrical safety specialists, we are making renewed calls for better safety standards after a faulty solar panel caused a fire which destroyed a home and left a man in hospital.

The fire, which broke out at a house in Hampshire, is thought to have been caused by an electrical fault in a solar panel.

The episode has brought the technology’s safety back into the spotlight following another roof fire at a Manchester primary school in March.

Seaward's Renewables Category Manager at Seaward, said: “Solar is generally a very safe technology – but incidents like this highlight the occasional problems than can occur.

“Fortunately in this case no one was seriously injured – but it could have been a very different story.”

A 2017 report analysed more than 50 solar fire incidents in the UK and found that more than a third were caused by problematic installations.

He continued: “The research is very clear – the majority of solar panel fires are caused by errors in the installation process.

“Carrying out simple and regular tests and making sure the equipment has been installed correctly is the only way to guarantee that your equipment is safe – and it’s essential that people are made aware of this to minimise the risk of fire.”

The incident comes just days after Seaward partnered with Labour MP Grahame Morris and other industry experts to launch a national campaign to improve electrical safety in rented properties.

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