The number of solar panels in the Netherlands is growing rapidly. A new panel is added every five seconds! Solar panels are basically safe systems. But sometimes things go wrong during installation. Insurers regularly encounter unsafe situations. Usually as a result of human action and on large company roofs on which many solar panels are mounted.
The bottom of the panels can get ninety degrees warm. Sometimes there is insufficient ventilation space between the panels and the roof and a fire breaks out. If this is done in the vicinity of flammable materials, such as insulation material, it is often extensive. This is also because the fire brigade can only extinguish the fire when the power is switched off. Because an electrified installation is life-threatening.
Roof collapse is less common than fire, but can cause a lot of damage. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) has conducted onderzoek into the roof construction of large roofs without a residential destination. 15 percent of the large roofs appear to be severely limited and 45 percent slightly limited. Modifications are therefore required for these buildings before they are suitable for the installation of solar panels.
In the event of a major fire, small particles from solar panels sometimes spread for miles. For example, on surrounding agricultural land. The landowners can only use the land again when all the remains have been cleared away. The costs of this are sometimes not or only partially covered by insurance. Fortunately, there is now a clean-up protocol after a fire.
In a triptych we outlined the problems, the legal framework and the role of Salvage.
The Association recommends always consulting with the insurer before installing panels. People should be aware that the risk of damage increases when solar panels are installed. With the preventiebrochure, written for and by insurers, the Association wants to raise awareness of this. The brochure is mainly about larger solar panel installations, such as panels on the roof of a barn at an agricultural company or on a business premises at a distribution centre. Sometimes as many as a hundred panels are placed on those roofs, but the roof is often not designed for that extra weight. If even more load is added, for example in the form of snow or rain, it can lead to bending. The water then remains on the roof, increasing the risk of collapse.
A first condition for the installation of solar panels is therefore a good and safe installation. For this, a good inspection upon delivery and periodically afterwards is a must. On that front, there is good news: the SCIOS Scope 12. This regulation for the inspection of solar panel installations allows certified inspections to be carried out.
For a better understanding of fires with solar panels, the Association has decided to collect data on large fires related to the energy transition in particular. We are currently investigating whether such data is already available somewhere and can be collected, combined and published.
In the first quarter of 2022, ZLTO organised the webinar 'Solar panels: fire safety & risks'. Explanations were given about the construction, maintenance and risks of solar panels on barn roofs. Kijk het webinar terug.
