By: Ibraheem Muhammad Mustapha
Recently, a viral video on Whatsapp shows burning roofs of what looked like a shopping complex. In the video, a man, identified as Papa Ubah, was seen informing his followers the fire outbreak was caused by solar panels installed on the roofs of the building.
Checks by FactCheckAfrica reveals that he has more than 2,000 followers on Tiktok, 539 subscribers on YouTube and over 28, 000 Facebook followers.
TFKF
For clarity, a solar panel, also known as a photovoltaic (PV) panel, is a device designed to harness sunlight and convert it into electricity using a process called the photovoltaic effect. Typically, it is made up of multiple solar cells made from semiconductor materials such as silicon.
When sunlight hits these cells, it powers the electrons, generating a flow of electric current. This electricity can then be used to charge electrical devices or store in batteries for later use. Solar panels have been identified as key components of solar energy systems, which offer a sustainable and renewable source of electricity.
Solar panels have become an increasingly popular source of renewable energy, with the global solar roofing industry expected to generate approximately £183.62 billion by 2031.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewable energy accounted for 30% of global electricity generation in 2023– up from 28% in 2021. During this time, solar energy accounted for around 5.4% of electricity generation, becoming the third largest contributor after hydropower and wind.
While solar panels are generally considered safe, there have been instances where solar panels have caused fires due to faulty installation, maintenance, or manufacturing defects. For example, according to a 2018 UK government report, 58 of the more than 1 million solar panel installations were directly responsible for fires.
Direct current (DC) isolators were found to pose the largest fire danger, accounting for 26 of the 80 fires, according to the analysis. DC connectors were found to be the second largest fire risk, accounting for five probable and seven possible fires. According to the report, the most likely cause of fire is electrical arcing, which occurs when electricity travels through an air gap through ionized gas molecules and becomes hot enough to ignite combustion. In total, these occurrences resulted in 13 injuries, three of which were fatal.
A study by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) also found that PV systems are often installed with very little consideration given to fire safety and as PV systems are part of the electrical family, they are also subjected to the typical types of electrical fire ignition. The results of the ‘1,000 and 100,000 roofs programme’ done in Germany further indicated that PV system failures are rare and largely attributable to the PV equipment itself.
Thus, our investigation revealed that while solar panels themselves are not a common cause of fires, they can potentially cause fires due to faulty installation, maintenance, or manufacturing defects.
Conclusion
Available studies and reports analyzed by FactCheckAfrica revealed that while solar panels themselves are not commonly responsible for causing fires, instances of such occurrences have been documented in other regions due to factors like faulty installation, maintenance, or manufacturing defects.
