The greater the popularity of your own electricity, the faster information about fires in PV installations spreads. And although there are no official statistics that would include both the causes and specific cases of failure, it is obvious that panels as electrical devices carry the risk of short circuit or even fire. We will talk about their probable causes, as well as ways to eliminate the fire risk, in today’s article.
A photovoltaic panel, like any equipment connected to the grid, may be a direct cause of its short circuit due to manufacturing errors. In the best case scenario, the panel itself will be destroyed and the fuse will save the rest of the equipment in the house, but to minimize the likelihood of overheating or burnout of the components of our installation, remember to choose well-known brands with appropriate certificates. Of course, this does not give us 100% certainty that a failure will not occur, but in our opinion, the established position of market leaders working with high-quality materials will definitely allow us to sleep better at night!
For the installation to work properly, it must be properly installed in the sunniest place and with appropriate distances to allow the panels to ventilate. Installation should be done using hooks, mounting screws, clamps and aluminum rails. Among the assembly errors that may cause a fire, we may also encounter mismatch of individual components to the installation power.
Cable splicing is also a popular crime of inexperienced installers. Such practices should be especially avoided, and if it is necessary to connect the cables, it is recommended to do so using quick connectors recommended by the panel manufacturer and dedicated to photovoltaics. More about installation on specific types of substrates in our article: Installation of panels on roofing felt, roof tiles, metal roofing tiles.
In the case of every electrical device, it is important to have it regularly serviced to enjoy its long and trouble-free operation. When deciding on periodic inspections of the installation, it is better to choose a well-known company and, as in the case of installation or even installation design, trust professional advice when it turns out that a part requires repair or replacement. Additionally, it is worth considering having the installation serviced by an external entity – especially if we suspect that this will avoid unfair practices of a company that will want to avoid warranty repairs.
Washing photovoltaic panels, although it does not have to be done relatively often, is one of the activities that must be remembered if you want to maintain high efficiency and enjoy the panels for many years. If you decide to wash the faucets yourself, remember not to clean highly heated surfaces and not to use chemicals not intended for this purpose.
In addition to washing, it is important to remove leaves and snow from the surface of the panels, which drastically reduce the power generating potential of the entire installation, generating a shadow or even a weight that may damage the structure. We have already written in detail about washing panels.
Electric arcs seem to be the most common cause of PV installation fires. In turn, they are usually caused by assembly errors, product defects (e.g. faulty soldering inside the panel) or mechanical damage caused, for example, by animals chewing through the wires.
Electric arcs usually occur when contacts are disconnected or wires are interrupted, between which the air ionizes and the current continues to flow. This phenomenon generates high temperatures (up to 3,000 degrees Celsius!), which can melt even glass and become a direct source of fire.
We would like to remind you how important it is that the installation is carried out carefully and that the connections are the minimum necessary. Of course, we do not encourage you to purchase arc detectors on your own! However, it is worth paying attention to whether the company we choose as a service technician offers installation inspection with a detector.
To prevent your own photovoltaics from turning into a nightmare, it is worth trusting professionals who can boast of numerous training courses and quality certificates, as well as experience on the market. At the same time, you should not be influenced primarily by the price, because in this case it does not necessarily indicate the quality of the service. Let us remember that, contrary to appearances, photovoltaic fires are rare, which does not exempt us from observing the basic fire safety rules applicable to the technical specifications of individual installations. To find out the best solution for your home, contact our specialists.
